


Sometimes

by SilverLining2k6



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Backstory, Best Friends, Bromance, Camp, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Forgiveness, On the Run
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-03
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-10 07:12:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 295,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/783278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverLining2k6/pseuds/SilverLining2k6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Silly Duncan stopped taking his meds. Now, one dead Fitzpatrick later, Logan and Veronica need to get him out of town.<br/>Too bad they hate each other.<br/>AU. Takes place mid 1x3 - Meet John Smith.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One - Should have brought Backup

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on 07/06/12 on ff.net under the title "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" at ff.net.
> 
> Gorgeous fanart book cover created by the amazing TumblrUser lilamadison11
> 
> Although this is NOT an angst story, the first chapter is pretty violent. The violence exists specifically to move the characters onto their paths, at which point, this should be a mostly fun and sometimes silly story.
> 
> 1x3 Meet John Smith - In this story, our characters had a normal day of school, the day after Veronica and Troy's first date. Veronica didn't kiss Troy by the field, Duncan didn't sing Summer Lovin' and didn't go all Wipeout off the bleachers. Logan didn't sprinkle his flask down upon their heads. I imagine Veronica still flirted with Troy, and Duncan was probably still a little wacky, and Logan was the assiest of all asses, but nothing major occurred. Until after school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: 06/2016 In the several years that have passed since I started this story, I've learned a ton about feminism and violence against women. I've opened my eyes to how ugly and problematic 'rape as plot device' is in film/television/fiction. 
> 
> With that said, while my use of attempted rape in chapter one is very regrettable, I can't imagine this story playing out any other way. Veronica's ordeal sets off a chain of events that I can't imagine transpiring were she only being forcefully yelled at. 
> 
> First time readers: MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING for Chapter One for attempted rape. There's no shame in reading the first few paragraphs of Chapter One and then skipping ahead to Chapter Two. I can assure you that after the initial ordeal, this story - by design - becomes progressively lighter in tone. I consider myself primarily a 'campy' writer who dabbles in occasional darkness. I vacation in angst, but always return home to lighter fare. Hope you enjoy!

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/lOW5dMJ)

  **  
**

 

 

  
**Day Three**  
**Somewhere in Texas**

The armadillo finishes crossing the busy Texas highway just as a Ford Explorer races by at one-hundred miles per hour.  

The force of its draft knocks him down the embankment.  Getting his feet underneath him, the animal crawls back up the slope, not quite making it, when a Mustang flies by at the same rate of speed, causing him to roll back down.

This time when he regains his feet, he heads in the opposite direction. To safety.

Inside the Explorer, Veronica Mars presses the gas pedal to the floor.  The needle crawls up - 101, 102, 103. In the passenger seat, Logan Echolls white-knuckles the grab handle while watching over his shoulder.

Duncan Kane sits in the back seat staring out the window.

"He's catching up." Logan yells, referring to the infuriated Fitzpatrick in the Mustang behind them. "HE'S ABOUT TO RAM US!"

Veronica checks her seat belt, bracing herself just in time for the hard thump that rocks the back of the truck.  

But wait!

We're getting ahead of ourselves.

Veronica Mars would never get in a vehicle with Logan Echolls, Right? He's her archenemy. Her nemesis. And Texas? What would three kids from Neptune, California be doing in Texas? Ford Explorer? These boys can afford better, and Veronica's been repairing the same rust-bucket convertible since she got her license.  What gives?

Let's go back to the beginning. Two days earlier. Friday. One day after Veronica's pleasant - but not earth-shattering - first date with Troy Vandegraff. Three days after Duncan Kane started tossing his meds down the kitchen sink. And Logan Echolls? Well, nobody actually knows what he was up to in the preceding days, but knowing him, it had to have been nefarious.

 

 

* * *

 **Day One**   
**Neptune Community Park**

  
To the uninitiated, the Neptune Community Park is an idyllic slice of wholesome American Pie.  Here little Susie 09er pitches softballs on one of the three baseball diamonds. Johnny Wrong-side-o-town tackles running-backs in the fall, and Duncan Kane still scores weekly goals on one of the two soccer fields.

However, as with everything else in Neptune, CA, a seedy underbelly lurks just below the surface.

Here Corny Douglas and his friends smoke joints in the picnic gazebo. Natalie Landers takes boys behind the public restrooms in exchange for cash. PCHers rumble in and out on their bikes looking for fights or anything worth stealing, and in the far corner, past baseball diamond #1, Ciaran Fitzpatrick peddles his wares: Meth and Ecstasy and Oxy, with the occasional Cocaine for the business crowd.

Dennis Fairlong – tall, dark, and gorgeous, with everything to live for – used to be one of those promising young soccer players, but a year ago, after a painful high school breakup, he traded his cleats for crystal meth. Three weeks ago, he succumbed to a fatal overdose.

As to be expected, the Balboa County Sheriff's Department failed to provide justice, so his mother, Evelyn Fairlong – a silvery blonde who could give Celeste Kane a run for her money in the Miss Ice Queen Pageant – turned to Mars Investigations.  She had it on good authority that Dennis made his drug buys at the Community Park.  She wanted names and pictures, and she wanted them now.

Veronica Mars was managing the office, while her father pursued a skip/trace in New Mexico.  Her first inclination was to decline the case - she could almost hear her father's voice like a portly bald angel on her shoulder, telling her it was too dangerous, she'd be too likely to run her afoul of Neptune’s organized crime - but then Mrs. Fairlong handed her a check with an obscene dollar amount.  Veronica gulped and began filling out the contract.  

That’s how she finds herself here today - a sweltering Tuesday, in early September.

In all the years she's been coming to this park, she's never seen it so empty.  She supposes it makes sense.  Baseball season ended a couple weeks back, and the heavy scent of chlorine reminds her the community pool always closes on Tuesdays for cleaning.  There's a game in progress on soccer-field one, but the few spectators in attendance aren't making a significant amount of noise.  

She’s kicking herself now for not bringing Backup.

The sixth row of the "away" bleachers for baseball diamond #3 provides the perfect vantage point from which to photograph Ciaran Fitzpatrick in his dealings.

He strongly resembles his older brother, Liam, except he’s slightly smaller and his teeth are beginning to rot from sampling his own product. He does a good business, though. The sheer number of his customers - from both sides of the tracks - surprises Veronica. Due to her powerful zoom, she has photos of the drugs, photos of the customers (Hello Sean Friedrich!) and photos of the money changing hands.

This might actually be enough for the Fairlong's lawsuit.

"Stalking again, Ronnie?" a voice asks from below her.

Veronica stiffens, but resists the urge to turn her head in his direction.   _Mask up. Face of stone._  "Go away, Logan. I'm busy."

"Here to get some soccer pictures for your 'Duncan is Dreamy' scrapbook? Hey, I can have him come over and pose for you. Would you like that? Hmm?"

"Great!" Veronica finally turns to face Logan. "While we're at it, maybe I can get some new shots for my 'Logan is Loathsome' scrapbook."

Logan flashes his _'she-fights-back!'_ grin, and strikes a dramatic pose leaning on the support columns for the bleachers. On impulse, Veronica raises her camera and snaps the shutter.

"I'll call this one, 'Portrait of a Psychotic Jackass in the Shade.'"

Logan clutches his heart. "Psychotic Jackass? I didn't know you cared. So, whose life are you trying to ruin today? Cheating spouse? Deadbeat dad?"

"Why? Jealous you don't have my undivided attention?"

Logan bats his lashes flirtatiously. "What can I say? I don't like to share my playthings."

"Don't worry. I still have plans for you," Veronica says baring her teeth in her most threatening smile.

Logan's grin falters, and then reasserts itself. "I'm shivering in anticipation." Jazz hands emphasize his point.

"Run along, Logan. You're dismissed," Veronica says with an exaggerated yawn, searching for Ciaran again with her viewfinder.

_Now where did he run off to? Damn, Logan Echolls has the worst timing._

She glances back down, but Logan is gone. Without the last word, even. Who would've guessed that was even possible?

Veronica uses her viewfinder to follow his trek to the soccer field.  Despite their mutual animosity, she’d have to be blind not to appreciate his gracefulness of motion.  

Of course, she’d made the mistake of verbalizing that observation once to Lilly.  She'd responded by listing - in _graphic_ detail - the other ways in which Logan excelled at using his body.  Classic Lilly.  Always trying to make her blush.  

_Enough nights parked outside the Camelot, and not much can make me blush anymore. Wonder what she would think of me now._

In her viewfinder, the soccer team jogs off the field.  Duncan dabs at his forehead with a white towel and chugs from a water bottle.  He scowls when Logan leans in to say something, and they both turn their heads to where Veronica is sitting.  

Caught spying, she turns away, quickly.  

Typical Logan.  Why does he even bother?  If her ex gave a shit about her, they would still be together.  

Duncan’s Mercedes SUV isn’t in the parking lot, so Logan must be his ride home.

Veronica gathers her messenger bag, stuffing her Nikon inside, and quickly jots down her notes about her observations.  She’s well, ahead of schedule, so maybe she’ll see if Troy wants to hang out for a while.

She stands, rubs at the indentations on her right thigh from the lines on the aluminum bleachers, and climbs down to the ground.

Duncan and Logan are nearby now, heading in the direction of the parking lot. They notice Veronica at the same time - Logan smirks, Duncan looks right through her - then return to their conversation. The SUV’s locks disengage with a cheep-cheep, and both boys climb into the vehicle.  

Veronica turns around - coming face-to-face with Ciaran Fitzpatrick.

Her eyes widen as he reaches for her. She tries to step back, but he grabs her by the hair, using it to propel her forward.

"Let go of me!" she screams, praying for a miracle. Praying the boys haven't driven away yet, not trusting they would be bothered to help her even if they haven't. 

On the far side of the parking lot, a small brick maintenance building stores equipment and controls the floodlights for the various sports fields. It sits on a concrete slab, extending ten feet from its front and right sides, and surrounded by an eight-foot dog-eared wooden fence with a gate barely wide enough to drive a ride-on mower through.

It’s towards this building that Ciaran drags Veronica.  

She screams and claws at his hand, and he tightens his grip on her hair so much she fears he'll rip it from her scalp.  

The gate’s padlock has been snipped and Ciaran ignores the white-and-black ‘CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY’ sign, pushing Veronica into the enclosure.  He pulls the gate closed behind him and it bounces, leaving only a three-inch gap

Veronica screams again, and he shoves her face-first against the maintenance building.  Blood trickles from her nose to her upper lip.

He spins her around.  "Why were you taking pictures of me, bitch?" 

“Class project.” Veronica fumbles in her bag.  If she could only grasp her taser.  

Ciaran knocks it from her hand, pins her wrist to the wall.    
  
She cries.  “A school newspaper piece on Neptune Community Park and the sports the residents play here."

"You're a lying bitch. I know who you are, Veronica Mars," Ciaran says.

She swallows and switches to false bravado.  "Well then, does the name Keith Mars ring any bells? He's expecting me home right about now, and he will destroy you if you hurt me."

"He's welcome to come find me."  The man reeks of sour sweat. "Liam's talked about getting rid of Mars for years."

She attempts to push past him, but he throws her back against the building, pulling a knife out of his pocket and holding it to her throat. Veronica squeezes her eyes closed tightly, her breath rasping.

"Let me show you what I do with lying bitches." He grabs her breast, squeezing hard enough to leave a bruise.  

The knife presses too hard against her throat to be able to fight back. Tears flood her eyes and she cries out.    

Ciaran abruptly reaches under her skirt and yanks at her underwear. The fabric rips with a skrrrtch sound.  Veronica whimpers, struggling to pull away.

He applies more pressure and the knife bites into her skin.  

_Somebody! Help me! Anybody! Please don't let him do this to me!_

His fingernails slash at her thighs as he rips at her underwear.  The last bit of fabric gives and they fall to the ground, landing in a sad white cotton pile.

"I'm going to give it to you, like the lying whore that you are." The scent of rot lingers on his breath and Veronica dry heaves.  She twists her head to the side, and the knife digs deeper.  A tickle of liquid on her neck.           

Ciaran rips open her shirt, buttons flying.  One rolls along on the concrete slab in an ever-tightening circle, finally coming to rest near her shoe.

He squeezes at her breasts with the clear intention of inflicting pain.  

"Please!" Veronica cries, "I'll delete the pictures, and you'll never see me again. Please let me go. "

His sinister laugh is as much of an answer as she's going to get.  He tucks the knife in his pocket and uses his thigh to hold her as he works on his belt and zipper.  

Grasping what might be her only chance, Veronica heaves into him with her shoulders and plants her knee in his groin.  

Ciaran howls, and Veronica twists away, diving for her bag; her taser.  

He recovers too quickly, pulling her back by the hair and punching her in the stomach twice before throwing her against the building. The knife clatters to the cement, but he compensates by pressing on her windpipe with his hand. "You don't have to be conscious for me to fuck you, you STUPID BITCH!" 

Veronica's ears ring as he cuts off her air supply, and her awareness slips.  She claws at his hand, but doesn't seem to register the injury.  

Ciaran yanks up her skirt and thrusts his penis at her. With her remaining strength, she crosses her legs together as tightly as possible, locking her ankles.

Maintaining pressure on her windpipe, he digs the fingers of his free hand into her thighs, trying to pry them apart.  

_It's only a body Veronica. You can't protect your body, but don't let him rape your mind. Go to a better place. A better time. With Lilly...the beach at Homecoming...I Never...Group hug...Lilly and Duncan...and Logan... before my life went to hell...How things were supposed to stay forever..._

She’s losing consciousness, but she thinks she hears a voice echoing through the ringing in her hears - is that Logan?

"You like to rape little girls you sick fuck?"

Then another sound - an inhuman cry.

Another moment of pressure and everything goes black.


	2. Day One – No Light, No Light in Your Bright Blue Eyes…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as violent as chapter one, but still gruesome. Trust me. It gets lighter from here on out.

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Community Park**

Somebody is shaking her, trying to wake her.

The clean scent of ocean with a hint of mint.  It triggers her memory - hours by the pool drinking lemonade, beach picnics, triple-scoop ice cream cones, watching videos (four crammed on a couch made for three), and dark air-conditioned movie theaters. 

Distinctly Logan Echolls.

"Veronica, you need to wake up." 

_Why? We aren't friends._

"Go 'way."

Hands on her shoulder. Shaking.

_Oh._

Ciaran Fitzpatrick.

_Damn._

"Veronica, you need to Wake. The. Fuck. Up."

She ignores him, cataloging her injuries - pounding head, burning scalp and back, aching neck, breasts, stomach.  But not _there_.

_Thank God, not there!_

He’s shakes her shoulder again. "Veronica, now!"

The urgency in his voice convinces her to open her eyes.  

"Thank God!" Logan blows out a relieved breath. He's kneeling over her, face ashen and his eyes seriously. freaked. out.

Veronica reaches to cover herself but Logan has already fixed her skirt. She does the best she can to pull the two sides of her blouse together.

"Did he…?" Veronica begins, finding it speech painful through her bruised vocal chords.

_This is Logan. Mask up. Face of stone. Don't show fear. Never let him see you cry._

He shakes his head and Veronica exhales.

She closes her eyes again. Nods once.  If she can just go back to sleep...

"Sit up," Logan commands.

"No."

He slides his arm under her neck, lifting her up to a sitting position.

She wishes he hadn't.  She _really_  wishes he hadn't.

In fact, there has never been anything she's wished for more, because the sight in front of her is too horrific to compute.

An expanding pool of blood surrounds Ciaran Fitzpatrick, who's posed unnaturally, abdomen hacked and slashed, insides now on the outside.

Covered in blood, Duncan Kane sits back against the fence, eyes vacant and rocking back-and-forth. Ciaran's knife lays beside him. Like an afterthought.

Veronica covers her mouth, gagging.

"Don't look." Logan's eye show concern, as he shifts to block her view.

"What did you do?" She rasps.

Logan throws up his hands. "Duncan is covered in blood, and I'm _still_  the bad guy?” His eyes lift to the heavens. “Why would I expect anything different?"

"Sorry. Just habit.” Veronica leans her head back against the building. “911?"

"No. He's beyond help, and we're getting out of here."

"Mmm." she mumbles, eyelids drooping closed.

"Veronica, you need to look me in the eyes so that I know you're paying attention."

Veronica complies. Because his eyes are probably the safest thing to focus on right now. Brown. Bottomless. Safe. 

"We need to get Duncan, and get the fuck out of here. Do you understand?"

Veronica nods.

"He's in some kind of trance."

She nods again.

"Are you going to stand up now?"

She shakes her head.

Logan sighs, stands, and moves to Duncan's side, allowing Veronica full view of the bloody _thing_. "Duncan, I need you to stand up, OK?" He speaks in the gentle tones one would use with a traumatized child. Taking Duncan's arm, Logan pulls him to a standing position, and leads him to the gate.

"Logan?" Her voice borders on panic.

_Dial it back now, Veronica. Mask up._

Logan halts, looking over his shoulder. "I'll be right back for you in a second."

_So reassuring. Pretending he cares. What a joke!_

"The backpack.  Drug deal gone bad."  She points.  

"Good plan."  Logan snags Ciaran's backpack, which by some miracle has eluded the path of the spreading pool of blood.

Veronica leans her head back, closing her eyes to block out the gruesome sight before her.

_Lilly! We need you so much right now. What have we gotten ourselves into?_

Duncan's way of dealing seems a lot more inviting.  How nice would it be to just _'check-out'_? Take the exit ramp?

The pondering is pointless. Veronica Mars is made of stronger stuff. She won’t - can't - go down without a fight.

Only a minute passes before Logan returns, but it feels like hours.

"Veronica, wake up." Logan crouches beside her.

"Awake," she mumbles, opening her eyes.

"Stand up, so we can get out of here."

Veronica grabs her messenger bag and makes a feeble effort to rise. Logan lets out an impatient breath, and pulls her up.

Pain makes her vision go white.  She hisses and doubles-over.  

"Veronica, I know you're in pain, but we don't have time to spare right now." 

She nods and tries to straighten up, only to have her abdominal muscles protest again. She gasps as a spasm of fire rips through her belly.

Sighing, Logan lifts her up into his arms like some macabre bridegroom carrying her over a bloody threshold.

"Logan!" She clings to his neck for support.  "We don't..."

"Trust me, I don't like you much either, but we need to get the fuck out of here." 

"Okay." Exhausted, Veronica's head drops to Logan's shoulder, nose brushing against his neck. She closes her eyes. "…It hurts"

Logan pauses. Perhaps responding to her vulnerability, his voice softens. "Veronica."

She opens her eyes.

"Listen, I know exactly how badly it hurts. I'm going to give you something for the pain, but right now, I need to get you far away from the scene of the crime. Okay?"

Veronica nods, buries her face back into Logan's neck.

Neurons transmit, synapses fire, and somewhere in the deepest part of Veronica's subconscious, a long dormant neural pathway – the one that always associated Logan with safety – twitches, shudders, shakes off its cobwebs, and blazes back to life.

Logan pulls the gate closed behind them, threading the broken padlock through the holes.

Veronica lifts her head. "Wait. My underwear!

“No time to go back.”

“But they're DNA evidence that can connect me to the scene. And the knife has Duncan's fingerprints. We need to go back."

"Veronica..." His tone signals more bad news to come.  "Your drug deal angle isn't going to work out."

"Why not?"

"Look up."  He nods his head at a medium-sized tree to their left.  

She squints her eyes and, there, hidden among the leaves, the blinking red light of a security camera.  Aimed right at the building.  

 _Oh hell._ No point in going back now.

Logan carries her to his truck and fumbles with the door. He tries to be gentle, but she still winces when he sets her down on the passenger seat.

In the back seat, Duncan's wrapped up like a burrito in an extra-extra large beach towel.  He still rocks, eyes vacant.

She’s used to him looking right through her, but this is something different entirely. The lights are out. He's left the building.

Logan climbs in, and starts the vehicle.  "We are SO fucked." 

"Where're we going?" Veronica asks.

"My house for now. The parents are out of town."

She should protest, but she can't think of a single reason why at the moment.  "Okay."

He puts the vehicle in Drive and doesn't speak again.  

Sleep creeps back in, has almost taken her under when she senses movement and opens her eyes.  

They're in Logan's driveway - the turnoff by the pool house - and he's digging through the backpack.  

"Here, take this." He holds out a tiny pill. "It will help with the pain."

"I'm not touching that crap."

"Okay." Logan pockets the pill. "Thought it would make you feel better. You know, Oxy is only a regular painkiller when you swallow them. Junkies crush them, and then snort or shoot 'em up to bypass the time-release factor."

"Since when have you been the Oxycontin expert?"

"My mom gets them prescribed for me," Logan says. "They help."

"Why would your mom knowingly…never mind. I don't want to know. Fine. Gimme."

Logan drops the tiny pill on Veronica's palm. She dry-swallows, and leans back in her seat, closing her eyes.

They sit quietly for a moment, before Logan speaks again. "Duncan won't survive for five minutes in prison."

"There's positive thinking for ya."

"He's soft, Veronica."  

She nods, acknowledging the truth. 

Logan blows out a breath and runs his hand over his face.  "I think I need to get him out of here, and I'm going to need you to tell me how to do it."

"You mean take him on the run?" She eyes Duncan dubiously. "He's catatonic, Logan. He needs medical attention."

"He's barely survived this past year."  He gestures at the back seat.  "I mean, look at him.  Can you imagine him in prison? He's not strong like us. They'd shiv him in the shower the first week.  I'm assuming the prisons are already overrun with Fitzpatricks?"

"Courtesy of my father."  She holds up a hand, cutting him off before he can run with that.  "But he won't go to prison for this. He obviously did it in defense of me. Any lawyer could get him off."

"Not exactly," Logan mutters.

Veronica's hackles rise.  "What do you mean?"

"I  _had_ you. Fitzpatrick was disabled, and you were no longer in any danger.  DK just...sort of lost it."

"Oh."  

_Fuck, Duncan!  What did you do?_

Logan grimaces.

"What makes you think he'll just snap out this trance on his own?" Veronica snaps her fingers.

"Remember the funeral? The Kanes wouldn't let me anywhere near him, but I'm pretty sure he was in a state similar to this. Then, days later, he was in school, and, although he wasn't exactly back to himself, he wasn't...this."

Veronica nods slowly, remembering.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Logan? Life on the run isn't glamorous. No parties. No adoring minions."

"He's my best friend, Veronica!  And he's suffered enough."

She examines Duncan for a long moment, and turns back to Logan. "Okay." She begins digging into her bag.

Logan, stares at Veronica in surprise.  As if he'd been expecting an argument.  

"What? I think you're right. Duncan won't survive prison."

"And hell has officially frozen over," Logan says, with a sardonic tilt of the lips. "You're not going to yell at me to call the police?"

"I would, but we're talking about Sheriff Lamb, whom I suspect has been in the Fitzpatrick's pocket for years."

Veronica locates her cell and dials.  "Weevil? Hey. Serious emergency, here. Can you meet me at Logan's place? Yes, Logan Echolls. No, he hasn't done anything to me. I swear!  He didn't lay a hand on me! I'll explain in person, but this is absolutely urgent. Okay, tell nobody. See you then."

She disconnects, dropping the phone in her back.

"Are you completely insane? Did you forget the part where Weevil hates my guts? That fifteen-on-four fiasco last week at the beach? He'll go straight to the cops!"

"Weevil may hate you, but he hates the Fitzpatricks twice as much. You've just done him a favor."

Logan looks at her skeptically. "It's too late to take back now, but if your friend gets Duncan sent to prison, it's on you."

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Twilight Zone**

_He's in a...location. He supposes he can be certain that he's indoors, because every time he moves, a spotlight follows him. Beyond the yellow circle of light, blackness stretches in every direction.  Only blackness. Whenever he stops moving, a marble bench appears next to him._

_He stops now , sits on the bench, closes his eyes, and stretches languidly. It's surprisingly comfortable for stone. He has nowhere special to be, but he may be having memory issues, because he can't recall how he got here. Doesn't really care, either. This is...pleasant._

_"Duncan. Come on. I can't let you do this."_ _Logan stands in his circle of light - taller, healthier, and more capable._

_"Do what? I'm only resting."_

_"Falling behind. Checking out. Here, take my hand. I'll help you keep going."_

_"Why should I keep going? What's the point with Lilly gone?"_

_"Because the world needs you, Duncan. You have great things in store for you."_

_"Do you actually believe that Logan, or are you just parroting my parents' words?"_

_"I need YOU to believe that. Come on Duncan. Let's keep going."_

_Duncan stares at the offered hand for a long second before taking it.  Who is he kidding?  He would follow Logan anywhere._

_"How do you survive? You loved her almost as much as I did. Why aren't you paralyzed like I am?"_

_"I have my rage. It keeps me going."_

_Logan's words are suspiciously similar to his own analysis. Is this a dream?_

_A second spotlight appears in the distance illuminating Veronica Mars._

_"Do you see that?"_

_Logan's gone._

_He now looms over Veronica. They're arguing fiercely, faces twisted into sneers. He gesticulates wildly, and she pokes a threatening finger in his face._

_This girl – the one gutsy enough to stand up to Logan – is a stranger to Duncan. She's not HIS Veronica._

_Maybe if he walks faster, he can combine this spotlight with theirs, and the three of them can be together again._

_He can't seem to close - or even lessen - the distance. Exhausted, he stops, waits for his bench to appear, and collapses, covering his face with his hands._

_"Get up." Logan is once again at his side._

_"You left me for her." Duncan accuses._

_"I can't help it. It's the rage beast inside of me. I need to let it out. But I'm here now. I can help you move forward."_

_"Why her, Logan? You could rage against anybody else: Madison Sinclair, Caitlin Ford, Sean Freidrich. All odious human beings. Why does it have to be Veronica?"_

_"None of them matter to me. None of them are worthy of climbing out of bed for in the morning."_

_"And Veronica is?"_

_"Only Veronica. And you."_

_Duncan squints off into the distance.  Veronica has a new companion in her spotlight._ _He looks familiar, but Duncan can't place him._

_"Who's that?" He points._

_"One of the Fighting Fitzpatricks. He was a seventh-year senior last year."_

_Fitzpatrick curls his fingers around Veronica's neck, and Duncan rises from his bench._

_"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!"_

_They can't hear him. He begins walking. Jogging. Running. Sprinting. He can't close the distance._

_The harder Fitzpatrick squeezes Veronica's neck, the more he bleeds. When Veronica falls to the ground unconscious, Fitzpatrick falls beside her, his abdomen a mass of slashes._

_Duncan turns to Logan, "Can you reach her again? Can you help her?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Thank you. Tell her I lov-"_

_"No." Logan turns back to him. "She's not who you think she is. She's not the same girl."_

  

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Echolls’ Pool House**

With a father like Aaron, Logan should be used to the sight of blood by now, but he has to swallow back his revulsion as he helps an unresponsive Duncan from the back seat.

With slow, hesitant steps, Veronica follows them into the pool house bathroom, cringing when she catches sight of her reflection in the mirror.  

 _Poor girl._ Logan snags a plush green washcloth from the linen closet, hands it to her, then fusses with the shower knobs until the temperature is just right.

When he turns back around, she’s washed away the blood from under her nose and the mascara tracks on her cheeks. Other than a few scratches, her face seems unscathed, but her movements and posture tell a different story.  If Fitzpatrick hits anything like Aaron does, in 24 hours, she'll have bruises on top of her bruises.

What kind of monster would hurt somebody that small?  He curls his fingers into tight fists, clenches, and releases the tension. 

Knowing Veronica, even a hint of pity would make her want to punch him - which might be amusing on any other day, but today they have bigger issues.

He goes to work, unwinding the beach towel from Duncan and appraising the mess.  Taking a deep breath for resolve, he tries removing Duncan's shirt.

Duncan doesn't cooperate.

He glances back at Veronica.  "A little help here?" 

She’s not cooperating either. Possibly because both hands are otherwise-occupied holding her blouse together.

With a long-suffering sigh, he unbuttons his own shirt, sliding it from his shoulders.

The widening of her eyes is almost comical, and maybe this situation requires a little sarcasm.  To normalize the dynamic.  

"I know I'm pretty, Veronica, but this is hardly the time to ogle me." He gives her a weak smirk and holds the shirt out.

_We can do this. Pretend it's perfectly normal to be cleaning blood and chunky stuff off your best friend._

_Status quo._

She stares at his shirt, as if expecting it to magically transform into a poisonous viper.

"Put it on. At least for the time being," he commands. "You'll need both hands to help me with Duncan.”

She regards him with suspicion, but accepts the shirt. "What's the catch?"

"Do you really think I’d trick you at a time like this? With Duncan standing here like Prom Queen Carrie?”

“Fine. For now,” she says, after an uncomfortable silence.

Logan turns his back, allowing her privacy to switch shirts.

A moment later, she inhales sharply.

"D'you get hit in the stomach?"

"Yeah, a few times."

"That sucks. You never realize how you use your abdominal muscles, until they're fucked up."

"You should know. As many fights as you get into."

"Right...fights,” he answers in a bland tone.

She steps closer. "What do you need from me?"

His shirt reaches to her knees, longer than her denim skirt, and for one  _super-inappropriate_  second, his imagination transports him to a post-sex afterglow.  Veronica, slipping on the nearest article of clothing to go get them snacks.  It's a normal thought for a teenage boy, but so completely out-of-bounds for the situation.  He squelches it down with a quickness.  "Let's try to get this shirt off him with as little mess as possible."

Veronica looks deeply into the vacant eyes, commanding, "Duncan, arms up."

Logan doesn't expect it to work, but sure enough, moments later, both arms lift.  They don't fly up, but instead rise slowly, lazily, and with no effort in keeping the elbows locked.

He inspects Duncan for any signs of life, giving a head-shake to the negative.

Together, they peel the blood-saturated jersey from Duncan’s skin and carefully lift it over his head.  Gore covers his torso as well, and Veronica turns away, covering her mouth.

Logan sets the shirt down in the sink and sits on the edge of the toilet. He gestures to Duncan's shorts.  "Be my guest."  
  
"I'll pass." She looks everywhere but at her ex.

"Duncan's One True Love wouldn't hesitate to bathe him."

"And that's exactly why _you_ should do the honors." 

 _Good one._ He smirks, but it fades as he turns back to Duncan. "Please?" 

"Not a chance."

He blows out a gust of air, and reaches for Duncan's waistband with two fingers.

"At that pace, you'll have him in the shower sometime...next week."

"Funny, Mars." Logan bites the bullet, tugging the shorts down in one motion.

Veronica slowly lowers herself to the floor. She lifts Duncan’s left foot, carefully removing his shoes, socks and shorts, and repeats the process with the other foot.

She glances up with a _‘_ _now what?_ ’ expression.

Logan shakes his head.  "I refuse to strip off his underwear."

"Just leave them on him, I suppose." 

Logan offers Veronica his hand, but she doesn’t notice as she struggles to rise. She lets out a pained gasp, clutching at Duncan to steady herself.  Instead, he tips forward.  

Logan catches him, manages to keep his cool until Duncan has been steadied on his feet.  One glance down at his own blood-covered chest and khakis, causes his stomach recoil.  He runs to the toilet, drops to his knees and heaves.

Several miserable seconds elapse, then Veronica’s small hand touches his shoulder. She rubs his back soothingly - as she’d done on so many drunken nights after Lilly abandoned him to the porcelain god.

The nausea passes and Logan tilts his head, glancing up at Veronica curiously.

"Oh…" She snatches back her hand. "I just—”

He readies a snide comment, but for once, he refrains from unleashing. Duncan is the most important thing right now. Plus, if the expression on Veronica's face is any indicator, she’s already berating herself for offering him that small bit of aid.

_Little Ronnie Mother Hen is still in there hiding behind that bitchy facade._

Her discomfort is understandable. Despite his attempts to the contrary, he’s never truly hated her either.

It's ironic though, if you think about it. His dad (the person who is supposed to love him most) uses his back for target-practice - _thank God those latest welts have faded_ \- while the girl who has every reason to despise him, can't stop herself from rubbing his back when she thinks he needs comfort.

_Talk about mixed messages._

He flashes her a Mona Lisa smile, and turns back to Duncan. "Alright, DK. We're going to put you in the shower now to get all of that nasty Fitzpatrick off of you, Okay?"

No response.  

Logan guides him inside the shower stall. From the open doorway, he grabs the removable shower head and concentrates the stream of water on Duncan's bloody chest.

Veronica moves to his right side. "His forehead, his left ear, the back of his neck."  She points and Logan aims the shower nozzle accordingly. Duncan exhibits no reaction, whatsoever.

A stubborn patch of blood won't come off with water alone. Veronica squirts a quarter-sized dollop of shower gel onto a white shower pouf, bringing it first to her nose to smell. The tiniest of smiles forms on her lips.

Logan cocks his head. "You always did like that stuff." 

Veronica frowns. “Don't be flattered.  It’s human nature to sniff first. Everyone does.”

_Right._

She continues. "It does feel a bit...wrong to make Duncan smell like you."

Logan wrinkles his nose. "Why?  'Fraid you won’t like him anymore if he smells like Eau de Jackass?”

She rolls her eyes. “The way you two smelled always seemed to match your personalities.  - completely and distinctly different.  And let's be clear, I'm talking about that time period where  _your_ personality could be described in words other than 'demonic'.  But I could always tell you two apart with my eyes closed."  

"Hmmm...Not sure why you would need to tell us apart the dark. Duncan’s the one you were making out with." He smirks at her discomfort, but can't resist asking, "So which one of us smelled better?"

"You were both unbearably stinky.  It's no wonder I left you two in the dust." 

"Nice attempt at evasion, but I'm on to you.  You wouldn't hesitate to name Duncan if he were the winner, so it must be me."  

"I guess your ego and your ability to jump to conclusions haven't suffered." Veronica reaches in to the shower and scrubs at the stubborn bloodstain on Duncan's chest.

"Out Out Damn Spot," Logan intones in a Shakespearian accent.

She gapes at him.

"Too soon?"

“Way too soon.” She turns back to Duncan, scrubbing extra hard.

Seconds later, a snort escapes her. "Too soon." She repeats, letting out another giggle.

"Admit it, Mars." Logan says, chasing her bubbles with spray. "You've always fantasized about soaping-up DK in the shower."

"Well then I guess you and I actually do have something in common, Logan." 

He twists his wrist as if to turn the shower head towards her.

"Do it, and you will suffer in ways that you can't even imagine."

"Trust me, I can imagine." Logan concentrates the stream of water on Duncan's bloody boxers until the water runs clear, and then turns off the shower. He pulls Duncan out, wraps a towel around his waist, and leads him to the foot of the pool house bed.  
  
"Sit, Duncan." Veronica instructs.  Seconds later, Duncan complies without a flicker of reaction in his eyes.  
  
"Wow. You're like the Donut Whisperer," Logan says. "Okay, Wait here with him, while I shower.” Dipping down, he catches her eye, and waggles his eyebrows. "Unless you've fantasized about soaping _me_ up as well...?"

He immediately wants to punch himself in the face.  Why would he hit on her **_at all_** , let alone after what she’d experienced this afternoon?

She takes it in stride, though, making an exaggerated gagging sound and shoving him towards the bathroom.

"I'll get Duncan some clean clothes once I'm out of the shower." Logan calls out, as he turns the shower back on.  He ducks back into to the bathroom doorway a second later. "Try not to get into too much trouble in the next ten minutes."

"Can't make any promises, Logan."

He smirks and closes the bathroom door.


	3. Day One - Making Plans and Innuendos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Mr. Navarro

* * *

**Day One**  
**Echolls’ Pool House**

 

The pool house bed beckons Veronica with the promise of a quick catnap before Logan puts her back to work. Turns out, being strangled to unconsciousness is exhausting.

She still can’t quite wrap her mind around the events.  She'd just partnered up with her worst enemy, to hose blood and other bodily particles off her ex-boyfriend - the one who could not be bothered to officially break-up with her, the Prince of Neptune.  She's still wearing said enemy's ugly orange plaid, ocean-scented shirt, softer against her skin than the high thread-count sheets from that hotel her family stayed in when they visited Aunt Cheryl. Oh, and can't forget that Prince Charming is sitting, in a catatonic-state, at the foot of the bed. _This stuff happens to everyone now and then, right?_

Her mind won’t stop racing long enough to allow her to drift off, and she stares at the ceiling in frustration.

_Is that?...A camera in the ceiling fan?_

She gingerly climbs out of bed, following a covered wire from the ceiling fan to where it disappears behind a bookcase. A seam separates the shelving unit into halves, and with the smallest amount of force, they glide open revealing two TV monitors and a recorder.  Some type of surveillance system, from the looks of it.

She presses the power button and the monitors light up.  The left monitor displays Duncan from above.  A second camera must be hidden in the headboard, as the other screen shows his head, shoulders, and back.  

Veronica gasps.

_Freaking Logan Echolls!_

_How many girls has he seduced here?_ _Did he record Lilly without her knowledge?_

The French doors open, and she turns her head. 

"Hey! My grandma said you guys headed down this way-" Weevil charges into the room, and then stops, taking in the towel-clad Duncan, and Veronica who, to an observer, probably appears to be wearing only a man's button-down shirt.  "Please tell me you didn't, V.”

Logan chooses this moment to enter the room, a towel slung low around his hips.

Weevil's gapes, staring back and forth between the three of them.

"Awkward." Logan says, drawing out the syllables.

_Fuck._

"This is not what it looks like," Veronica says. "Trust me. It would almost be easier if it were."

"Well, at least _one_ of us would be easy." Logan says.

She rounds on him. "Can you shut your mouth for two seconds?"

He starts to respond, and his eyes widen. "What the hell is that?" He rushes over to the monitor set-up.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." She crosses her arms over her chest. "Just when I thought you couldn't be any more despicable…"

"Wait, you think I put this here?"

"It's your pool house."

"Right…I can see it now: _'Hello, Mom! Hi ,Dad! Just ignore those workmen over at the pool house. They're only installing some illegal recording equipment. What's for dinner?'  Who_ Is that how the scenario goes down in your head Veronica?" Logan pushes open a sliding cubby door, revealing three perfectly spaced rows of video cassettes.

_When he puts it that way..._

“What are these?” Logan snatches one of the tapes and inserts it into the video player, fast-forwarding until the screen shows Aaron Echolls writhing over a well-endowed brunette.

"Who's that?" Weevil asks.

"Dick and Beav's step-mom." Logan answers, staring at the screen. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Really? If you ask me, she's one smokin' step-mommy!" Weevil says.

Logan checks the date on the tape case and groans. "Because I've had my dad's sloppy seconds." He runs a hand through his wet hair, his face the picture of nausea.

"You slept with Dick and Beaver's step-mother?" Veronica's voice drips with disgust. "She's married!"

"Aren't you naive?" Logan condescendingly, pats her on the head. "It's not like she's not the first. Or even the last."

Veronica had suspected as much.  She'd caught glimpses of him before during stakeouts at the Camelot, so she can't explain why she's so disappointed.  The headlight incident alone, should've proven he's not the same person he used to be.

Logan ejects the video, and inserts another random tape. This time Aaron's sex partner is younger.

Veronica inhales. "Emma Anderson! She only graduated last spring. What's the date on the tape?"

He examines the label. "Before last spring."

"Maybe she turned eighteen before graduation?"

Logan gives her an _'_ _if-that's-what-you-want-to-believe_ _'_ look, and ejects the tape.

He plugs in a third video, but this time, the star isn’t Aaron Echolls.

The blonde is positioned sideways across the bed on her hands and knees.  She's around eighteen or nineteen, small-breasted, and tiny in comparison to Logan's much-larger body.  She moans in pleasure as he pounds her from behind.  Hard.  

"Oh My God!" Logan whispers in horror. "He recorded me!"

There's something mesmerizing about the way Logan moves, the shape of his back, his heavy-lidded eyes.  He curls over the girl, trailing rough kisses up her spine, then hooks an arm around her chest, lifting her upright.  Altering the rhythm of his hips, he bites her shoulder, while sliding his hand between her legs. 

An intense shivery heat emanates from someplace deep inside Veronica's core. It spreads out in waves and breathing becomes difficult. She spins away, face flushed and clutches the edge of the bookshelf.

_What the fuck was that?_

Veronica suspects she's experienced some sort of sexual response to the video, but that can’t be possible.

She was almost raped today.  Her sex drive should be DOA.  Put out to pasture or, at the very least, comatose.  Sexual reactions shouldn't even be a possibility, right? Adrenaline would make more sense.  Delayed-onset adrenaline rush.  Or the Oxycontin.  A drug reaction is much more probable.  

Because that wasn't Brad Pitt, or Josh Hartnett, or even Duncan, on that tape.  It was LOGAN, the person she hates above all others.  And despite Lilly's never-ending oversharing about his...talents...Veronica wouldn't - _couldn't_ \- have been reacting to HIM.

_Adrenaline. Or Oxycontin._

Logan still stares horror-stricken at the monitor, but Weevil must've noticed her reaction, and now shakes his head in disappointment.

"Screw you." She hisses, and Logan snaps out of his trance.

"Huh?"

"Turn it off Logan. For God's sake, turn it off."

"Relax, Veronica." Logan laughs uncomfortably. "All you could see of me was my ass. I'm sure you've seen an ass before."

_Yeah, but not an ass like that…Oh God! I need to bleach my brain out._

He hits the stop button.  "I need to find any other tapes that might have me in the starring role, and torch them."

She narrows her eyes.  "So basically, to hell with protecting Duncan.  Let's just sit around and watch porn?"

"Dammit!" Logan runs a hand through his wet hair, paces the small area between the foot of the bed and the monitors.  

Veronica averts her eyes, afraid they might fall upon his ass - barely covered in that towel.  She will NOT think about the way his gluteus muscles expanded and contracted on the tape as he... _HELL!_

She ejects the video tape, inspecting the markings on the label, and then examining the two previous tapes.

"Logan, there's a system." Veronica says, and he falls in beside her. "Look, the other tapes are marked A.K and A.E., but your tape says L.K"

"Aaron.Emma, Logan.Katherine," he says, catching her meaning. Together, they dig through the remaining collection finding an L.C and an L.?.

He inserts the first tape and Veronica spins away, avoiding any further mental images. If only she could block out the incessant shrieks.

"This is that girl my cousin Chardo threw his life away for?" Weevil asks.

"The very one." Logan drawls. "Traitorous bitch!"

"Hey!" Veronica calls out. " _I'm_ the traitorous bitch. I refuse to share derogatory nicknames with Caitlin Ford."

Logan flashes Veronica an honest-to-goodness smile. "Fine, traitorous bitch is all yours. Caitlin can have treacherous skank."

"Deal."

A low cabinet with a marble counter takes the place of a traditional headboard in the pool house.  The view of Duncan's back on the monitors had been too unobstructed for the second camera to have been built-in.  Too many pillows blocking the way.  Nor was it embedded into the dry bar.  The wooden doors are unmarred, and the lock is genuine.  In addition, the distance was a bit too much, and the decorative objects arranged along the counter weren't visible in the frame.  

She examines these.  Framed photos.  A few books.  A bowl of fake pears.  A gilded Buddha statue.  

There.  A tiny glass dot on the forehead.   The Urna, or third eye.  

_Aaron Echolls, you disgusting pig._

"I broke up with this...skank...last Thursday," Logan is saying, "...and we were only together for a few weeks, so this is recent. Fuck my dad!"

"She's a little skinny for my taste." Weevil says. "I prefer a little more meat on their bones."

"Don't we all?" Logan agrees, ejecting the tape and inserting the third.

Veronica checks on Duncan, waving her hand in front of his face.  No sign of improvement.

"Well dayum!" Weevil says. "That's more like it. Who is she?"

"Not a clue. I think I was drunk." Logan admits, "But if you find her, get her number for me."

"I'm getting her number for _me!_ "

The sex noises on screen get loud again.

"God Logan." Veronica says, "Why do all of your  _bimbos_ need to be so loud? Your dad's companions were at least politely quiet."

Logan erupts into laughter. "It means that, unlike my father, I know what I'm doing.  And if you don't know that, the swim team isn't doing it right."

"Damn man!" Weevil turns his head sideways. "You never mentioned your years traveling with the circus? How  did you do that?"

"I have no idea. Is there a slo-mo button on that thing?"

Veronica's head pounds.  "LOGAN!"

He mercifully ejects the tape.

"Can I keep this one?" Weevil asks.  

Logan swats his hand away, tossing all three of his personal tapes on the bed and returning the bookcase to its pre-discovery state.  "Can't let dad know we've discovered his secret."

"So...as much as I enjoyed the porn..." Weevil begins. "Can somebody please explain to me what's going on, why the three of you are basically naked, and why Golden Boy hasn't spoken a word since I got here?"  He turns to Veronica. "And you especially,  why are _you_ hanging out with the asshole who smashed your headlights just last week?"

"Can we just talk after Logan and Duncan get dressed," she says.

"Why? Are my stunning good looks making you nervous?" Logan poses, hands out.

Veronica glares.

"Fine. Back in five minutes." 

 

* * *

 

Weevil waits until they're alone to speak. "So, you...uh...have a thing for Satan there?" He motions to the doorway Logan exited through.

"Absolutely, positively, NOT. I _loathe_ Logan."

"Liar," He says, "I'm pretty sure you blew a love-gasket watching Opie pound that blonde."

She turns away. "That's crude and disgusting."

"V, I'm familiar with what an aroused woman looks like." Weevil flicks his eyes to the side smugly. "I've done my share of arousing."

"I have never hated anybody in my life more than I hate you at this moment." 

Weevil laughs. "What was it the Bible said about dothing and protesting too much?"

"That would be Shakespeare."  Veronica plucks a thick leather-bound book from a shelf, handing it to Weevil.  " _The lady doth protest too much, methinks._ "

"Well methinks that's exactly what you doth be doing."  He turns the book sideways, running his fingers over the gold-leaf page edges.  

"It's not that!" Veronica glances back at Duncan, ensuring he's not listening.  _As if ._ She moves over to the doorway separating the bedroom from the gaming area, and drops her voice to a whisper. "I've just never seen anything like that before, okay? When I used to make out with Duncan, everything was always so tender...and gentle. Even the cheaters I've surveilled are relatively...uninspired. That...action...happening on screen was so...um... _animalistic_ ? Or  _primal_? Or...I don't know."

_Wow, Veronica. You just had to explain yourself. Nice job making it worse._

Weevil seems to catch her drift, though.  "Boy vs. man.  That _ooey-gooey-first-love_ lovin' you were getting from Golden Boy was the work of a boy. I may despise Echolls, but at least he fucks like a man..."  He pauses for a second, then adds, "...or a double-jointed circus freak.  From your reaction, you're thinking..."

"Weevil..." Veronica warns, eyes narrowed.

He doesn't take the hint. "Did you get a good look at the _girl_ on that tape?" He answers his own question: "Of course you didn't. You only had eyes for Logan. I got a good look at her, though. And the girl on the third tape, too."

"Your point?"

"My point is, they were cheap imitations of _you_. Caitlin too, if you squint.  The first had longer hair, and the third was a bit curvier, but otherwise..."

"Just leave, Weevil!" Veronica commands. "If you can't understand how much I hate Logan Echolls, then we'll have to do this without you."

"Well that's not very charitable, Veronica." Logan returns, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt with a green button-up over-shirt. He pouts.  "Save a girl's life, and she treats you like gum on the bottom of her shoe."

"People say if you save a person's life, you're responsible for them forever," Weevil says.

"Trust me, Veronica is the one person I most certainly do NOT want to be responsible for forever. She's too much trouble for her own good."

She narrows her eyes.  "Says the guy screwing other people's wives."

"Jealous?" Logan quirks an eyebrow, then gestures to the pile of clothing on his arm. "I'm going to need some help getting D.K. dressed." 

"Is he...?"  Weevil whistles a cookoo noise, and circles a finger at his forehead.

"To be determined," Veronica answers. 

Together, she and Logan manage to get Duncan dressed in boxers (accomplished _under_ the towel), a blue button-up shirt, khaki shorts (snug at the waist), and a pair of Logan's socks.

"What about shoes?" Veronica asks.

"His are bloody, and mine are too big. We'll have to grab some from his house."

"Bloody?" Weevil goes on alert. "Would somebody please start explaining?"

Logan lets out a puff of air, and rises. Veronica attempts to stand, but shooting pain sweeps through her and she gasps.    

Logan crouches, gently helping her up from the floor.  

Weevil raises an eyebrow.  "What's this?"

"Asshole punched Veronica in the gut a few times.” 

"Who?" Weevil's voice lowers and his eyes grow hard. "I'll fucking kill him. There's never an excuse for a man to put his hands on a woman. Ever."

"I think he's a little beyond your reach now, Paco." 

"I'll decide that for myself.  Tell me what happened." 

Logan flops down across the bed, staring up at the ceiling fan.  "I went to pick D.K. up from his soccer game. Over at the Community Park.  His SUV is in the shop, and his mom dropped him off. Anyway, we were just pulling away, when something told me to go back and check the maintenance building."

" _Something_ told you?" Veronica questions. He's hiding something.  

"Let me finish." Logan snaps. "I was halfway there, when I heard Veronica crying.  I broke into a run, shoved the gate open, and found some fucktard trying to push his dick into her.  Or at least trying to pry her legs apart."

Weevil's nostrils flare, and his fists clench and unclench.

"This dude had his other hand around Veronica's throat and she was gasping, like she couldn't breathe.  I was about to lay into this guy, when Duncan came up behind me and let out this...wail.  Like nothing I've ever heard before.  He didn't even sound human.  So he flipped.  Lost his shit.  Before I could even blink, he had the guy on the ground with his hands around his throat.  Trying to kill him.  It took everything I had just to pull him off.  Then...all the fight just drained out of him."

_Not all the fight, apparently._

"The rapist was out of commission, just laying there groaning.  Veronica was unconscious, so I checked on her.  I was fixing her skirt, when suddenly Duncan wailed again.  I turned around, and he had the guy's knife."  Logan exhales, seeming to brace himself for what comes next.  "I think he stabbed him like eight or nine times. I froze up, watching that knife rise and fall into the body over and over again. It made this horrible sort of noise when it slipped in." He shivers. "Then, as if somebody turned off the lights. Duncan wasn't there anymore. Same as he is now, but rocking back and forth. "

"Damn." Weevil runs a hand over his face. "What's wrong with him?  I mean besides being batshit?"

"I'd guess some kind of catatonia from extreme trauma." Veronica suggests. "He was like this the night Lilly died, too."

Both boys look at her with interest.

"I was with my dad when he received the call. When we showed up, Duncan was rocking. I couldn't get through to him, so I gave up and went looking for my dad by the pool, where..."

Weevil steps forward, squeezing her shoulder, and her body recoils. 

He jerks his hand away.  "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."   

"Don't apologize.  You were only trying to be reassuring.  It's just..."  She trails off and watches a silent communication pass between the two boys.

Logan brings them back on-topic. "So, Duncan zoned out the night Lilly died, and was still...zoned out...during the funeral.  Which means this could potentially last for several days."

"Yeah, I think so." Veronica says.

Weevil rubs a hand over his head.  "If you don't mind me asking, where exactly do I come in?" 

"Logan's going to take Duncan and run," Veronica says. "They're going to at least need a vehicle and some passports."

"Why run?  He's rich and white.  They'll never pin this on him."  

Logan shakes his head.  "There was a security camera pointed right at the scene. They've got him dead to rights."

"Of _course_  there was." Weevil sighs. "The feeds for the park cameras record over at the Park Services department, and my friend who does security there is out of town because of a death in the family. I can't get that tape for you. Once they find the body in the morning, they're going to head straight for the video."

"It never crossed my mind to ask you to get the the tapes." Veronica admits.

"Why come to me at all, V?" Weevil asks. "It's no secret that me and Logan here..."  He points back and forth.  "...can barely tolerate each other on a good day."

"Way to spoil my prom dreams."  Logan pouts.  "Did we forget to mention that the dearly departed rapist bastard was a Fitzpatrick?"

Weevil perks up, strokes his chin, thoughtfully.  "I may be able to make some arrangements." 

"Plus, our little quid pro quo has been a bit heavy on the quid and a bit light on the quo." Veronica says.

"I get it. I get it. I owe you," Weevil says. "But are you sure you want to waste your favors on these idiots? Logan's been a complete ass to you."

"Hey!  I resent that!" 

Weevil and Veronica both stare him down. Logan wisely chooses to remain silent.

She turns back to Weevil. "You didn't see his face. He was going to murder me after he raped me. I'd be dead right now if it weren't for Logan..and Duncan.  And it's not like I won't just earn back _more_ favors the next time you get yourself in trouble."

"Which Fitzpatrick was it?" Weevil asks.

"Ciaran.  With the teeth."  She points to her own.  

His head jerks in her direction. "Please tell me that was a terribly bad pronunciation of Padraig."

"No, I said Ciaran. What does that mean in the scheme of things?"

Weevil pinches the bridge of his nose as if he has a migraine coming on.

"I'll tell you what it means.  Start packing, Veronica."  He sweeps a hand toward Logan.  "Looks like you two idiots are going to have some feminine companionship on your extended trip."

"Like hell!" Veronica and Logan say simultaneously.

"Listen.  Let me tell you a little bit about the Fitzpatricks." Weevil scans the room, as if looking for a chair, but settles for leaning against the wall.  "There's thirteen of the fuckers, and that's just the brothers and male cousins.  Twelve hoods and one priest."  

"A case for birth control, if I've ever heard one," Logan mutters.  

"These thirteen Micks do nothing but fight amongst each other.  They would sell out their own mother if they thought they could turn a profit."  

"But they protect their own?" Veronica interrupts.  

"As a rule?  No.  With one exception."

"Ciaran Fitzpatrick."  Logan stands, begins pacing again.   

"Ciaran Fitzpatrick," Weevil points at him and nods.  "He's done time for Liam.  Took a bullet for him.  Somehow, even in that crazy meth-head family, they are about as close as two brothers get.  And Liam Fitzpatrick is one batshit crazy mother.  He won't stop until the three of you are in the ground."  He turns back to Logan.  "So you're taking Veronica with you, whether you like it or not."

"My dad will keep me safe!" She insists.

"My predecessor, Gustavio Toombs - AKA Reaper Gus, thought he'd be fine. He got in a fight with Ciaran Fitzpatrick over dealing at the high school, and he's never been seen since. The same with Andrew Fitzpatrick – one of the cousins. He tried to make a deal - fingered Ciaran for a B&E- also never seen again."

"But my dad..."

"Liam Fitzpatrick is notorious for using loved ones as bait. You need to get out of town, and break off ALL contact with your father whatsoever, or he will end up dead. YOU will end up dead, and your two rich boyfriends will end up dead. Are we clear?"

She's still not convinced. "I'll go stay with my Aunt Cheryl in Palm Springs for a while."

"You're not hearing me, Veronica.  Your relatives are matter of public record. He will find you and kill you. You need to go with Logan."

"I don't even trust him! Have you forgotten how he bashed my headlights in last week?" She narrows her eyes at Logan.

He glares back. "What did you expect? You planted a fucking bong in my locker! Got me suspended and arrested.  You wouldn't believe the shitstorm my dad rained down on me at home, not to mention the arrest and suspension."

"Wait, so that's why you busted her headlights?" Weevil asks.

Both answer as one.  "Yeah."

Weevil pinches the bridge of his nose again. "You know what? You two deserve each other. I will be smiling on the inside imagining you two driving each other crazy."

They both glare at him.  

"I'm not arguing with you V, you're going on the run with these two."

"Fine." 

"Whatever." Logan mutters.

"Do you think the Golden Boy over there might be a danger to Veronica? He did flip out and kill somebody."

Logan sighs. "I never intended to tell anybody this..."

Veronica and Weevil wait.

"I've seen him wig out once before. He tried to strangle Jake Kane, and was yelling something about Veronica."

"So he  _is_ a danger to Veronica."

"No, that's just it. After I pulled him off his father, he went limp for a second, and then he snapped out of it. He didn't even remember trying to choke Jake. He didn't remember anything. And the weirdest part? This was only a day or two after he'd broken up with Veronica."

Weevil's eyes meet hers. "So you think Veronica triggers some kind of berserk button for Kane?"

"Yeah, like he's King Kong, and Veronica's the blonde chick he needs to protect. Well…that other blonde chick."

"Will you take responsibility for keeping Veronica safe?" Weevil asks.

"I'm not going to let him hurt Veronica."

Satisfied with the answer, Weevil changes the subject. "Where's the body?" 

"Still at the community park in the fenced area by the maintenance building."

"Padlocked?"

"Broken padlock." Logan answers.

"Okay. I'll replace the lock," Weevil says. "That should buy us time. Nobody will bother with the security footage until the body is found. Get out of town tonight. And NO MEXICO!"

"Why not?" Logan demands. "I was already planning to take Duncan down to Mexico."

"Of course you were.  You need to go someplace where you can blend in. You'll stick out like sore thumbs in Mexico. Do you have fake ID's?"

"I do." Veronica answers. "And I made some for Logan and Duncan back before...You still have them?"

Logan nods. "I do. Pretty sure Duncan does too."

"Show me."  Weevil holds out a hand.  

Veronica produces hers from her purse.  Logan hands over his own, and Duncan's (after a trip out to the truck to dig through his duffel bag).

"You'll need new names, but we can extract the photos from these ones. I know a guy with the right equipment. Okay, go pack pretty boy. I'll meet you at Veronica's in two hours with some new wheels and ID's."

"I have my own wheels, thank you very much." Logan says.

"Is he always this dumb?"

"No. Trust me; he can be much, much more dumb." Veronica answers.

"Do you want to get caught Echolls? Think nobody will notice that yellow rolling eyesore?"

"It's not  _that_ noticeable."

"I'll bring you a mini-van. Nobody even sees mini-vans."

"You expect me to drive a mini-van?"  

Veronica has to hide her face to keep from laughing at the outrage on his face.   

"I expect you be murdered if you don't."

"Fine." Logan huffs.

"Leave your credit cards. Take as much cash as you can get your hands on. Don't try to leave the country. Get lost somewhere you'll blend in."

Logan and Veronica nod.

"I'm helping you for Veronica's sake! You had better take care of her. Is that clear?"

"Spare me the dramatics." Logan says. "I need to go pack." He stalks out of the room.

Weevil runs his hand over his head.  "Hey...I'm really sorry about that stuff I was saying earlier about you and Logan. If I had known..."

"If you'd known how close I came to being a rape victim, you would have walked on eggshells?"

"I didn't mean..."

"Your sexual innuendos are obnoxious, but that's who you are. If you start walking on eggshells, you're going to make me feel like a victim, and that's the last thing I want."

"So we're good?"

"Yeah, but if you ever insinuate something sexual between me and Logan again, I'm going to taser you. Twice. Not because of the sexual innuendo, but because it's Logan."

"Yes, ma'am." Weevil grins. "So where is all the bloody evidence?"

"Bathroom." Veronica points.

Weevil heads to the main house and returns with a trash bag, some rags and a bottle of bleach. He fills the trash bag with Veronica's ripped shirt, Duncan's bloody clothes and shoes, the towel, and Logan's bloody pants, and then cleans up any blood in the bathroom with a bleach soaked rag.

He takes the bag with him when he leaves, telling Veronica it’ll be tossed over the Coronado Bridge later tonight.


	4. Day One - Logan Falls in Love...With Target

* * *

**Day One**  
**Echolls’ Estate**

If necessary, Logan could probably pack in his sleep.  He's had plenty of practice, as his parents started dragging him around the world as a small child - movie sets, Cannes, and Sundance, not to mention the regular parade of  elite vacation spots.  He's a pro at this.  

He spreads his most-worn clothing out on the bed, goes to work folding them into tight, space-saving bundles.  Khaki.  Olive Green.  Orange.  Items so similar, it's almost as if he wears a daily uniform.

_A uniform that could easily identify me._

Returning most of the many-pocketed cargo pants to his drawers, he exchanges them for jeans, making a mental note to stop layering his shirts.  He adds lesser-worn tees to his suitcase.  Button-ups and hoodies, his black zip-up cardigan, shorts, swim trunks, socks and boxers, two pair of shoes, and a couple hats.

A glance in the mirror reminds him that not all uniforms are of the textile variety.  He lets out a harsh exhale, and unscrews his pukka shell necklace.  Holding one end, he allows it to coil into his palm, memorizing its weight and texture.  His chest constricts at the necessity of leaving Lilly's gift behind, and he picks up a framed photo of her, kisses two fingers, and presses them to the glass.  In a rare moment of reverence, he places both items inside a decorative wooden box.  Closing the lid is like closing a chapter of his life.  Time to move on.    

From his bathroom, he retrieves his daily skincare line and Bvlgari Aqva grooming products.  They should be safe to keep around.  It's not as if there's such thing as a 'sniff' lineup, and he certainly can't have Veronica mistaking him for Duncan in the dark, after all.  Because he smells way better, and she knows it. 

Logan digs through his accessory drawer until he locates a pair of Oakley wraparound shades.  He's only worn them once, and while he'd received compliments, he'd been unsettled every time he caught a glimpse of his reflection and hadn't recognized himself.  But that's what they're aiming for now, right?  He adds a baseball cap, and the addition transforms him into a virtual stranger.  He can't wear hats 24/7, though, so he makes a mental reminder to do something about the blond highlights.   

Scanning his room, he considers what else might be useful.

 _What a joke._ This isn't _really_ his room. It’s a professionally decorated, generic, one-size-fits-all guest-room that he happens to inhabit.

He's sixteen, with he bedroom of a forty year-old.  His wall should be covered with hot girls in skimpy clothing - Alyssa Milano, the Olsen Twins.  Or movie posters – Tarantino or the Cohens (nothing with his father's face on it). He certainly shouldn't have the framed photos of the Echolls Family Farce.  He tucks one of himself and his mother between several shirts in his suitcase, the rest can burn for all he cares.  

There's space left, so he packs his laptop and a few XBox games. He can replace the console later.

Once he leaves, he may never come back, so he stops in his parents room, examining his mother's possessions for something to remember her by.  After choosing a memento, he snags some expensive sunglasses for Veronica to wear.  Probably the only thing his mother owns that could be useful to her considering the six inch difference in height.  

On his way out, the movie poster for  _Around the Bend_ catches his eye, sparking a memory...leading to a different memory...leading to a plan.  His lips spread wide.   _Go somewhere we can blend in, huh?_ _Where can two rich boys and a tiny blonde pest blend in, far far away from California?_

In Aaron's office, he lifts the hinged seat of a leather chair revealing Aaron’s secret hiding place, and locating exactly what he’s looking for.

He stows his luggage in his trunk, along with extra bags, and returns to the pool house.  

Weevil's already gone and, from the sound of it, Veronica's washing her hands again in the bathroom.  Logan escorts Duncan out to the his truck and returns with an empty box.  

Veronica seems zoned out, staring at a golden statue of some Eastern deity. 

"Time to go."  

Veronica visibly startles.  "You're all packed?  That was quicker than I expected."

He taps his watch.  "I'm efficient, and we're on a schedule."  

She squints at him. "I barely recognize you with the hat and the shades."

"That was the point." He removes his glasses, stuffing them in his front pocket, grabs a stubby screwdriver from a nightstand drawer, and unscrews the ceiling vent.

Veronica inhales.  "You learned that from Lilly."

Plucking a key from the opening, he grins at her over his shoulder.  "No, Lilly learned that from _me_.  Can you believe I need a key to open the liquor cabinet?  It's okay for me to fuck underage girls on camera for dad's entertainment, but God forbid I partake in some liquid refreshments."

Logan unlocks the bar, pulling bottles from the shelves and arranging them in the empty box.

Veronica circles around the headboard.  "Wow Logan, are we running for our lives or planning a drinking binge? If you think for a moment, I'm going to let you get behind the wheel while you're drunk, you can forget about it."

"We'll need to stop for the night at some point, and I'm going to need something to help me deal with your sharp tongue and overwhelming disapproval."

"Meanwhile," she says, "You're a total dream to be around."

"Thanks, partner in crime."  He grins, tosses the three video tapes in the box.   _"_ That kind of positive attitude will go a long way towards us getting along."  

Veronica rolls her eyes.  "Do you have your checkbook?  We'll need to use cash." 

"Gold-digger."

She smirks. 

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Kane Estate**

Getting into the Kane house to pack is easy. Getting out is the hard part.

"Back in a few.  Stay here with Duncan," Logan says, grabbing his extra duffel.  

Veronica ignores him, following him inside, and he doesn't waste time arguing.  He repeats his own process, gathering clothing, shoes, and toiletries.  She packs up a laptop computer and then searches the bedroom until she locates Duncan's checkbook in an amber valet tray.  

They accomplish this in five minutes, and as they're heading back out, she makes the colossally stupid mistake of sneaking into Lilly's bedroom.

"What do you think you're doing?" Logan asks in an urgent whisper. "I can't go in her room. I just...can't."

"Give me a second," Veronica says. "I'll meet you out in the car."

"Come on. We can't get busted." He sighs and leaves when she doesn’t respond.

He gets shoes on Duncan's feet, and then waits - patience dwindling - in the driver's seat.  

_Where is Veronica, and what's she trying to pull now?_

A red Jaguar pulls into the driveway.

_Oh hell!_

Celeste pauses next to Logan's X-Terra, peering at them with a disdainful sneer, then continues on to the garage.

_Damn! Damn! Damn!_

Logan exits his truck. How is he going to get Veronica out? Should he expect police sirens any minute now?

He returns to the Kane house.

"Oops! Forgot my car keys." He shrugs to Celeste, who's sorting the mail over a trashcan. She gestures dismissively.

Logan takes a deep breath for courage before pushing open Lilly's bedroom door. He finds Veronica on a chair, trying to remove the screws on Lilly's vent.

"Hey!" He hisses at her. "Celeste is here. You need to get out right now."

"Give me a second." Veronica whispers.

"We don't have a second." Logan grabs Veronica's by the hips, lifting her from the chair to the floor.

"Logan! I need to check that vent," she says, attempting to climb back up on the chair. Logan's arm around her shoulder stops her short as he steers her towards the door.

"No time. Get out to the truck, and I'll try to distract Celeste."

Veronica lets out a frustrated exhale.  Her mouth opens, argument at the ready, and then closes.  She snatches a red dress draped across Lilly's bed, and makes an angry, ' _after you'_ gesture at the door.

Logan checks the hall. "Clear."   

They tiptoe down the back staircase, hugging the wall.  A door at the bottom leads outside, but requires passing the open kitchen doorway.  

When he peeks around the corner, Celeste is holding an empty glass up to the light, inspecting it for spots.  An uncorked wine bottle sits on the counter before her.  

He pulls back, putting his mouth next to Veronica's ear.  "She's still in there.  I'll distract her for a second, and you get the hell out."

She nods and he steps around her into the kitchen.  "Hi again, Mrs. Kane."

Celeste sighs.  "Logan."

"So hey..." He moves further into the room, pretending not to notice her contempt.  "Mind if I grab a bottled water on the way out? It's a scorcher today."  

Predictable as ever, Celeste gestures towards the fridge, watching him like a hawk to ensure he  _only_ takes water.    

Veronica scurries off as he's opening the fridge.  Good girl.  

He's two seconds away from escaping, when Celeste speaks.  "So what's Duncan pouting about this time?"

"I'm sorry?"  His hand hovers on the doorknob.

"He wouldn't even look at me when I pulled in. He's obviously pouting about something."

"Oh." Logan stalls.  What could possibly put Duncan in such a bad mood that he'd even ignore his Mommy?  There's really only one thing.  "He didn't say anything, but it could be about Veronica Mars.  I know she went on a date..."

Celeste stiffens. "Duncan is dating Shelly, who is a perfectly appropriate girl. Why should he care about Veronica Mars?"

_Hmm...I don't know.  Why?_

"Do me a favor Logan."  She stretches her lips in an imitation of a smile.  "Keep Duncan far away from that girl."

"Um...Okay. I'll talk to him.  See you later, Mrs. Kane."

Logan catches up with Veronica outside, taking her arm.  "Come on. Let's get out of here before the White Witch decides to interrogate me some more."  

They round the corner towards the driveway and find themselves face-to-face with Jake Kane.

"Veronica?" 

"Mr. Kane." Her eyes drop to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" 

"I came to...get my dress." She holds up the red dress uneasily. "For Homecoming. It was in... _her_...closet."

"Oh…" Jake's brow furrows. "Homecoming? Are you?...and Duncan?"

What is it with the Kanes?  Veronica can be a bitch, but to hear them, you'd think she was some kind of barracuda, intent on gobbling their precious boy.   

"Actually, Veronica is  _my_ date, Mr. Kane." 

"Oh...you and Veronica?..." Jake somehow manages to look relieved and concerned at the same time.  

"What can I say? It just snuck up on us." Logan grins and puts an arm around Veronica, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

"Oh…" Jake examines Logan. "Well...make sure you treat her right. She's like...family"

Jake lifts a hesitant hand to touch Veronica.   Her shoulders stiffen under Logan's arm. He pulls her closer, out of Jake's reach, and the tension eases from of her body.

"Will do, Mr. Kane. Well, we have to be going now. Catch ya later."

"Yeah...sure. Hey, find out what's bugging Duncan, will you? He didn't even wave when I pulled in."

"Oh, well he's not too happy about this." Logan gestures to himself and Veronica. "But we just couldn't fight this feeling anymore. We've forgotten what we started fighting for."

"Ahh. I see." Jake says, looking uncomfortable. "OK, have fun, kids."

"REO Speedwagon? Really?  That's HIS generation."

Logan grimaces. "It was the first thing to pop into my head. I hate lying to him. He's like a father to me. On the other hand, what does it matter? I'll probably never see him again."

"Well, we do have to come back someday." Veronica says.

"And  _I'm_  the one who's dumb?" Logan asks. "We can't ever come back."

"You put shoes on Duncan," Veronica notes, changing the subject as they climb into Logan's truck.

"Yeah. I  _can_  manage to be competent occasionally." Logan says. "Now explain what you were doing in Lilly's room." He starts the truck and pulls away from the Kane mansion.

"Your liquor cabinet key hiding space made me wonder if anybody ever searched Lilly's vent after her death. All I needed was one more minute. Your timing really sucks, Logan."

"I'll remember that next time you need me to rescue you from the bad guys. What could you possibly have expected to find in there?"

"Maybe a clue as to who murdered her?"

"Oh, you definitely need a clue all right. Here's one: Abel Koontz confessed."

"That man did not kill Lilly."

"Then why would he confess?"

"Your opinion of me means less than nothing, so I'm not going to debate this with you. All I'll say is Lilly had a big secret. Those are the last words she ever spoke to me, and I think that secret got her killed."

"Right…it's a big conspiracy. And what makes you think you can steal Lilly's clothes from her room?" Logan demands, stopping at a red light.

Veronica holds up the red satin dress. "Look at the size of this. Do you really think Lilly could have fit her boobs into this dress?"

"Lilly preferred to have her boobs spilling  _out_  of her dresses." 

The car is silent for moment, and then their eyes met and they both snicker.

"I promise, she bought this one for me after last year's Homecoming because I was…" Veronica makes air quotes. "Suppressing my hotness behind yellow cotton dresses."

Logan smirks. Sounds like Lil.

"And as you can see…" Veronica motions to herself. "I am now blessing the world with my hotness, so I thought it would be appropriate to take my dress. Every fugitive needs a good party dress."

Logan looks Veronica up and down. "If this is your idea of blessing the world, I'd hate to see your curses."

He drives away as the light turned green. 

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Mars Investigations**

They make a quick pit stop at Mars Investigations, during which, Logan sits on the corner of the reception desk flipping through a U.S. Atlas, outlining paths with a highlighter, while Veronica rounds-up some supplies. Duncan remains in the car.

Veronica places the small trunk she likes to refer to as her Box O' Disguises on her desk and returns to the supply closet. She scans the shelves, gathering tools and gadgets that might be useful for life on the run into a separate tote bag on the desktop.

_Sorry dad, but I'm sure you would happily replace any of this stuff in order to keep me alive._

"You planning some extracurricular fun, Mars?" Logan asks dangling a pair of handcuffs from his index finger. "Don't think you'll need the cuffs, Duncan will stay exactly where you put him these days."

_Duncan? Somehow, I can't picture Duncan being into the kinky stuff, or anything other than vanilla. Now Logan, on the other hand...Ugh!_

"We need to be prepared in case we're caught by Liam Fitzpatrick or bounty hunters." Veronica says, slapping the handcuffs out of Logan's grasp. They fall to the desktop with a _clang_.

"Fine, I get it." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. "I still may want to borrow these for some extracurricular activities of my own, though."

_And there we go. Right back to that visual._

Veronica scowls at him and takes a seat at the desk. She opens her laptop and fires off an email to her father from her main account to his. 

 

 

From: veronica.mars@aol.com

Subject: Goodbye

To: keith.mars@aol.com

Dad,

By now, you must be aware of what happened at the Community Park. First, you need to know I'm fine. The boys arrived on time to save me. I am a little battered and bruised, but otherwise, Okay.

We are not going on the run to evade the police. With the Kane's money and influence, they could get Duncan off - he was defending me after all. We're running from the Irish Mob. The Fitzpatricks. After speaking with a source who is familiar with them, we were strongly advised to leave town as soon as possible.

We have learned a bit about the Fitzpatricks today. Their head, Liam Fitzpatrick is extremely dangerous. The only person he has ever been close to is his brother Ciaran, who has served time for Liam and has taken a bullet meant for him. In return, anybody stupid enough to go up against Ciaran has ended up dead or missing.

We're positive that were we to stick around, Liam would kill us. Even worse, he might hurt the people we love.

I deeply regret the need to do this, but that darn survival streak runs strong in our side of the family. If I were to make any contact with you, Liam would try to use you as bait, so this is my last 'goodbye'. I am closing down this email account to remove temptation. You will not be able to reach me by any method.

You absolutely, positively, must not search for us. Be safe, and let me go, knowing I am out there somewhere loving you.

Love,

Veronica.

 

She logs-on to her VPN account. Using it ensures that her ISP has no record of her activities. Even if the authorities were to locate the account, it would trace back to a shared IP address in Seychelles where the VPN Company doesn't keep any records of activity.

Keith had set up secret web mail accounts for each of them to be used in an emergency. Using hers, she types a second email to her father. Once he realizes she’s gone, he’ll check his secret inbox first. 

 

 

From: vm911@gmail.com

Subject: A better goodbye

To: km911@gmail.com

Dad,

The only way to bring me home is to get Liam Fitzpatrick off the streets. Between the drugs and the money laundering, there must something you can nail him on. Whatever you do, don't let him catch you investigating.

I am so lucky to have a father who has taught me everything he knows about survival and street smarts. Keep faith, I remember all of your lessons. I will stay safe, and I'll try to stop the two knuckleheads from getting into any more trouble as well.

I won't be able to email every day. It will depend on the availability of Wi-Fi, which isn't likely in the dive motels where we'll be staying. I will check-in when I can. Always routed through the VPN, of course.

I need you to promise not to try to find us. If you refuse, I will be too worried about you to keep my head straight.

Feel free to share the other email with the press when they come calling. I hope that the statements about not staying in touch will be enough to prevent Liam from trying to use you as bait to get to me.

**You're**  my daddy,

Veronica.

 

"Sending a love note to your boy Troy?" Logan asks without glancing up from the atlas.

"What do you know about Troy?"

"I know he's a player, and he's been paying a lot of attention to you lately."

"Why should you care who pays attention to me, and what makes you think he's a player?"

"Come on, Veronica. I'm a guy."

"And a player."

Logan shrugs. "Qualified to judge, then. So, you sending him a 'Dear Troy' letter?"

"It _would_ be the right thing to do, but it's not safe to say goodbye to him or Wallace. Either one might try to stop us from leaving if they read the email too soon, so I guess they will hear when everybody else does. It doesn't seem fair or right."

"Well, I've never really met your friend Wallace, but trust me, you're better off without Troy Vandegraff."

"Right…I'm better off running  _away_  from the guy who's been nothing but nice to me, with the guy who gives the word  _jackass_ new meaning. That's perfect logic…for a masochist maybe."

"Masochist? If you want to be spanked, you need only beg."

Ignoring Logan, Veronica imports her Fitzpatrick surveillance photos to her laptop, then slips the memory card into the Fairlong case-file. She cancels her email account, preventing anybody from trying to reach her by that method, and then retrieves Keith's disguise case from his office.

Popping the latch, she digs through the contents producing a pair of eyeglasses.

"Stay still." She leans forward, placing the glasses on Logan's face, then steps back to view the effect.

"Come on, Veronica, what are you doing?" Logan complains.

"I'm trying to disguise you." She discards the first pair of glasses.

"My vision is perfect."

"These are fake glasses." She dismisses a second pair, placing a third on his nose.  The effect is beyond attractive - hot, even - but she merely says, "These look pretty good."    

"You have a mirror?"  Logan's nonchalance doesn't fool her.  She's well-versed in his vanity.    

Veronica holds up a travel mirror.

"Yeah, not too bad." Logan says. "Chick-bait for girls who like smart guys."  

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You're already a smart guy playing-dumb. Now you want to be a fake dumb guy playing-smart?"

Logan shrugs his shoulders.

"So...Running from the law and cruising for smart girls." Veronica exhales. "Sounds like my kind of vacation."

On impulse, she presses a fake mustache under Logan's nose. Cackling, she holds up the mirror for him again.

"Awesome!" Logan says. He slaps Veronica's hand away when she reaches out to take it back. "Hey! Hands off my porn 'stache! I'm keeping it!"

She rolls her eyes. "Don't even think about wearing that thing in public with me, or I'll dump you somewhere remote. Like the desert." She hands him the plastic case for the mustache. "The baseball cap and shades can be used for everyday blending in."

"I don't like blending in." Logan says.

"Obviously, Frosty." Veronica eyes the tips of Logan's hair, lifting her lip in a sneer. "But, I don't like being caught and tortured by Irish hoodlums."

"I'll do my very best to blend."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Trust me, Veronica."

"I don't trust anybody."

"Once, you were the most trusting and gullible person I've ever met."

Veronica narrows her eyes. "Then, you taught me not to trust anybody."

Guilt flickers across Logan's face, but he quickly hides it behind indifference, turning his attention back to his atlas.

Veronica makes a guess as to which glasses would suit Duncan, and tosses them in her box.  She packs up her laptop and shoves Mrs. Fairlong's check in her purse.

She earned that money in the worst possible way, and Ciaran Fitzpatrick's death is as much justice and Mrs. Fairlong could hope for.  "Let's go, Logan."  She hands him her trunk, and locks up the office.

"So what is your plan for getting your hands on Duncan's money?" Logan asks, as the walk down to the truck. "We can't exactly send him into the bank to make a withdrawal."

Veronica holds the door for him.  "Not _into_ the bank. You can use the drive-up teller. We’ll make a check out to cash. Stick the check and his driver's license into the container and send it up the tube. As long as the teller can look out the window and actually see him sitting in the car they'll probably cash it."

"But with a check that large wouldn't they check his signature card?" Logan asks.

"Please.  I could forge Duncan's signature in my sleep."

Logan gives her a little grin, speaks in Lilly Kane inflection. "You are so not yellow cotton anymore, Veronica Mars." 

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Neptune Savings & Trust**

"Here goes." Veronica breathes deeply, and opens the door to Neptune Savings and Trust.  

This has the potential to go very bad, although, if she's being honest, she's more worried about how Logan will fare at Duncan's bank.  He doesn't have her skill for lying. 

"Hey June." Veronica approaches the first available teller. "I want to deposit this check into the business account and withdraw the same amount."

June glances down at the check, frowns. "Twelve thousand dollars, Veronica? Are you sure your father would want you to withdraw an amount so large?"

Veronica leans in, giving her a conspiratorial smile. "My dad knows nothing about this case – this one was all mine. I met with the client this afternoon, solved the case in two hours, and fully earned that fee all by myself. The thing is, I need the cash to buy my dad a gift. His birthday is next week, and he can't stop talking about this high-tech bug-sweeper disguised as a cell phone. Now with this money, I can finally buy it for him."

June's eyes crinkle warmly as she counts out a stack of crisp hundred-dollar bills. "Your father is a lucky man to have a daughter who loves him so much." 

Five minutes later, Logan pulls up in front of the bank.  "Well?"  

"Worked like a charm. I was born to be a con woman."

"Good for you," Logan says. "I, on the other hand, am not cut out for this sneaky stuff. I keep waiting to be surrounded by a SWAT team."

"You've got the money?" Veronica asks.

"Yeah, seven thousand from Duncan's account, ten from mine."

"Okay, so that gives us twenty-nine thousand in cash. Oh my God, we are just asking to get robbed." She rubs her hands over her face. "Head to my house to meet up with Weevil, and then on the road we go."

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Sunset Cliffs Apartments**

Waiting is not Logan's strong suit. In fact, patience is not a virtue he’s ever even desired to possess. After ten boring minutes waiting in the truck, he heads up to Veronica's apartment, tracking her to an open door at the end of a short hallway.

"Wow, Veronica. My closet is bigger than this room."

She pauses from rooting around through her closet. "Screw you, Logan." 

Backup, Veronica's pit-bull, bounds over, greeting Logan enthusiastically. "I see at least one member of the Mars family misses having me around."  

His asshole father had always refused to get him a dog, but he’d loved this one.

"Traitor!" Veronica hisses at her dog.

Logan crouches, switches to baby talk. "Who's a big guy? Bet you missed your Uncle Logie. I know all the perfect scratching spots, huh?"

As if understanding, Backup rolls onto his back, exposing his belly for a good scratch.

"Can we bring him with us?"

"Sure. A large pit bull will really help us blend in. Are you crazy, Logan?"

"I like your dog, OK?"

"Sorry, but no.  I stopped by Mrs. Robinette's apartment and asked her to feed and walk Backup until my dad gets home. She loves him, and she owes me anyway."

"I think we should bring him with us."

"Logan, we'll be staying in dive motels where you can't have dogs. Plus, my dad is already losing me, I can't take his dog too! Go wait in the car."

"Nope." He doesn't bother making an excuse.

Logan is, admittedly, a nosy bastard who never misses the opportunity to snoop through a medicine cabinet, rifle through drawers, or read somebody's notes. He circles the room, running his hands over everything, grinning as she seethes in annoyance. It’s been so long since he’s been able to get a reaction out of her – even with the headlight incident last week she had barely flinched.

Veronica's never used a professional decorator, yet much like his own room, there's something impersonal about the space.  Photos of strangers?  Is she trying to hide from herself?

Logan pauses at her desk, examining her bulletin board. Photos overlap other photos.  He brushes some aside to see what’s underneath. Strangers on top, but underneath...Lilly. Duncan. Himself.  He finds one Lilly took the summer before her death.  In it, he holds Veronica out over a pool, while she clings to his neck with a death grip.  She wears the world's most modest baby pink bikini, and laughs with a long-gone innocence.  The way he looks at her...Logan shivers.  It’s hard to believe there had been a time when he had been that guy and Veronica had been that girl. It seems like centuries ago, rather than merely a year.

He can’t stop staring at the photo. He wants to  _possess_  the photo, so, looking over his shoulder to make sure Veronica isn't paying attention, he pulls out the tack and slides the picture into his back pocket.

No sign of Dick on this wall. No Madison. No Shelly. No Meg. But he’s there, and after the animosity between them, he doesn’t understand why she didn't cut him out of every single picture.  Why she'd even hung pictures that included him – they were already enemies by the time she'd moved to this apartment.

She stares into her closet, seemingly at a loss as to which clothing to pack.  

"Hey. Veronica, don't pack much. We'll get you all new clothes."

"And why would we want to do that?"

"Because, you have a trademark 'look'. Short skirts, tall boots. I need to change the way I dress, too."

"Nice of you to offer, but we need to make that money last. We can't afford to waste it on stuff we already own."

"I was just thinking, since I'm going to have to cut-up the black Amex anyway, we might as well use it one last time to stock up on clothes and supplies."

"That's actually a decent idea," Veronica admits. "But credit cards leave records of purchases."  

"So pick nondescript stuff. Hoodies, tee-shirts, jeans. Then you'd look just like everybody else."

"I'm already nondescript enough."

"Nondescript?"  Logan laughs out loud.  "The girls ridicule your clothes, and the guys want to get you out of them. You are  _never_  nondescript."

"You're full of it." Veronica rolls her guy. "Not all men are womanizers like you.  But fine.  I'll pack essentials."  

The designation stings, but it would be disingenuous to argue the point.  "Bring at least one pair of those boots, though."

"Why?"

_Because they're hot._

"You'll never know when you'll need them."

Logan takes down a few more pictures, hands them to her to pack.

"Why?" 

"Why not? They won't do you any good here."

She relents, tucking them in an outer pocket of her bag. "I'll bring the pictures, but they're mine. Don't even think of cutting me out of them."

"Never crossed my mind."

Another photo catches his eye. "So Duncan's dad is cheating, huh?"

Veronica looks up. 

"You have a picture of him outside of the Camelot Motel, and we both know Celeste wouldn't be caught dead there. So who's the other woman?"

"Get away from my desk, Logan."

"Who's the other woman, Veronica?"

Veronica's eyes narrow, and her voice is icy.  "Everything on or around my desk is private."

"Hello? You just watched my sex tapes! Talk about private!"

"Only for a split second." She turns on her heel, giving him her back.  

"Wow, Veronica!" Logan laughs. "You're more embarrassed than I am. It was just sex. Rumor says that you should be used to it."

"Go. Wait. In. The. Car. Logan." She speaks through gritted teeth.

Logan ignores her and throws himself onto her bed, propping up his head with her pillows. She must use coconut-scented shampoo, because the scent is transferred on the pillows. It’s a nice subtle scent – not overly fruity like so many girls' hair.  "So, uh…how many guys have you had in this bed before me?" He bobs his eyebrows.

"Get the hell out of my room, Logan!" Veronica pick up a shoe, and throws it at him.

Logan jogs out of the room, laughing.

Veronica Mars all riled up and angry is a thing of beauty. In fact, after raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, it’s one of his favorite things.

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Sunset Cliffs Apartments**

"An Explorer?" Logan sneers.  "You expect me to drive this thing?" 

Weevil lifts his eyes skyward. "I can take it back and bring a mini-van."

"Goody!" He gets out of the truck.   

What's taking Veronica so long?  

"You should maybe try a little gratitude.  It's only two years old and has all of the extras." Weevil follows him to the back of the truck.  "Plus it'll be practically invisible to cops."

"And women." Logan pops the lift gate, gathers their bags, and transfers them to the other vehicle.  

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Weevil sets the box of liquor in the Explorer's trunk. "I was under the impression you were trying to stay alive. Wouldn't want to affect your sex life."

Only Ciaran Fitzpatrick's backpack remains in X-Terra.  Logan considers it for a moment, and tosses it into the Explorer. Who knows when they might need a pain pill?  

"Fine, I'll drive the damn Explorer, but if I'm overtaken with a sudden desire to wear mom jeans, I'm coming after you."

"Anything happens to Veronica while she's under your care, I'll save you the trip."

Logan smirks, stepping into Weevil's personal space. "Does Ronnie know you're hot for her?"

Weevil's mouth twists. "Does she know you're in love with her?"

"In love?" Logan barks out a laugh. "Try the complete opposite."

"The complete opposite, huh? So you're saying you're indifferent to Veronica? Cause I can point to two broken headlights that say otherwise."

"No  _hate_  is probably the word I'm looking for. Not sure how you could read anything else into it."

"Eh...you know what they say about a fine line," Weevil's eyes flick to his mouth and back again. "I see the way you watch her all the time. The way I see it? She's the one thing you can't have, right? Daddy's money can't buy her, and Lilly and Golden Boy stand between you. So if you can't have her, you're gonna make sure nobody else does either, right? Is that how things work in your twisted little mind?"

"Wow. I take back what I said. You're not hot for Veronica, you're hot for _me_. Do you spend all of your time analyzing me?"

Weevil ignores the dig. "Too bad that new kid hasn't fallen into line, huh? Bet that really pisses you off. I've seen you sizing him up."

"You know nothing." Logan shakes his head. "Deflect all you want. Doesn't change the fact that you want her. Too bad she's coming with me."

Weevil's eyes narrow, and Logan can’t resist twisting the knife. "Maybe I will hit that. She'd hardly be the homeliest chick I'd ever been with, and after a good flea bath…"

A door closes up on the balcony, and Veronica locks up, swinging her bag over her shoulder.  

Guilt churns in his gut.  _Why does Weevil always bring out the worst in me?_  

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Sunset Cliffs Apartments**

 

_Hit that?_

_Did that punk just refer to Veronica like a cheap piece of ass?_

Images flicker in Weevil's memory.  Lilly Kane, brushing off his concerns about the bruises on her arms.   _Oh, that?  Don't worry about it.  It was nothing._

He steps up into Logan's face. "So help me Echolls, if you put your hands on her like you did Lilly, they won't find your body."

That manages to wipe the smirk off Echolls' face.  "You're not good enough to speak her name."  

Weevil leers.  "That's not what _she_ thought.  In fact, the louder I screamed her name, the harder she..."

"LIAR! You never touched her. She wouldn't spare two seconds for a pork rind like you!"

"Never touched her? Nipple ring on the right side. Birthmark on her left ass cheek that looked like—”

_Why am I doing this? Let it go, Weevil. They're about to take off. Logan Echolls will be out of your life forever._

 An expression of horror transforms Logan's face.  He shoves Weevil hard.

_Now it's on, rich boy!_

Veronica steps between them just in time for his shove to catch her on the chest.  She slams backwards into Echolls.  

"Veronica…" Weevil reaches for her.

"Don't you fucking TOUCH her!" Logan twists Veronica out of reach, wrapping himself around her like a human sheild. "Don't you think she's been manhandled enough today?"

And there's the confirmation. He'll never understand the twisted dynamic between these two, but Echolls' jackass face wears the expression of a man who will protect a woman with his life.   

"Veronica, I never meant to push you."

She pulls free of Logan's embrace, voice cold and eyes even colder.  "How much do we owe you for the truck?"

"Nothing." Weevil points to the yellow hellbeast. "Logan's truck will cover it."

"Like hell it will!"

"Why not? If by some miracle you get to return to Neptune alive, daddy's insurance money will get you a new one."

"Logan?" Veronica implores him with her eyes to not fight it.

"Hell!" Logan sighs. "Fuck it. Let's go Veronica."

"Your keys?" Weevil holds out his hand.

Logan all but throws them at him, and stomps toward the Explorer.

"Shouldn't we take Duncan with us?" Veronica points to the back seat of the XTerra.

"Fuck!" Logan stalks back and helps Duncan into the back seat of the Explorer.

Weevil moves away from the vehicles, giving Veronica the signal to follow.  "So hey, I can bring the Le Baron home from the park, if you give me your keys."  

"How?" Veronica fishes through her bag.  

"I'll have Felix drive my bike while I drive your car."  He pauses.  "No wait.  Felix has a date tonight.  It'll have to be Thumper."  

"Can we trust him to keep his mouth shut?" 

"Thumper?  I'd trust him with my life."  He toes the ground, and gets to the real reason he took her aside.  "Hey. I'm sorry you got in the middle of that shit with Logan.  I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It was an accident.  I get that.  But that was low, even for you.  Some things should be off-limits.  Lilly was his life!"

"Lilly was my life too." Weevil pokes his chest with his thumb, throat constricting.  "I was in love with her, but she kept leaving me and running back to that asshole every time he crooked his finger at her."

Veronica stares, clearly shocked by the revelation.  "Lilly never told me about you, Weevil, but Logan was her boyfriend. They were together since Junior High, and they always ended up back together."

Weevil nods, miserable. "I thought he knew about Lilly and I.  She had this attitude, like being with me was a big 'Fuck You' to somebody else.  Considering he _deserved_ a big 'Fuck You', I never really cared I was being used.  As long as I could spend time with her."

"Weevil, she loved Logan.  If she wanted to rub anyone’s face in it, it would have been Celeste's. You didn't deserve to be treated that way, but neither did Logan. He's a victim here, too."

"And you didn't deserve the way they treated you after her death." He hooks a thumb toward the truck. "Why do you care if those two live or die?"

She shakes her head. "You'd never understand."

"Try me."

"They're family. Families feud, and become estranged, but it doesn't make the feelings go away. I'd still do anything for those two idiots."

Weevil exhales. "As much as I hate the bastard, I have a feeling Echolls will take good care of you."

Veronica's jaw drops, indignant. "You ever think maybe I'll be the one taking good care of him?" 

"The thought has crossed my mind. Hey Echolls, come here." Weevil waves him over.

Logan returns, arms crossed, body tense, still looking for a fight. "What?"

“I shouldn't have gone there before. You were pissing me off, and I thought you'd known all along."

"I _didn't_  know jack. I mean, I knew there was somebody else, but not who." The fight drains from Logan. "I guess…I shouldn't have said…" a quick glance at Veronica "…what I said either."

They nod at each other.

"What'd he say?"

"Never mind." Both boys answer.

"What?" Veronica insists.

Weevil could be a dick and tell her, but she seems to enjoy her denial, and why rush the inevitable?  Instead he pulls the plastic cards from his pocket.  "Your ID's.  

He hands the first to Veronica. "You're Victoria Marshall. 22 years-old, from outside of Seattle. You're driving across country to take your brother, _Declan_ Marshall to a psychiatric hospital." He hands her Kane's fake license, showing him as 21 years-old.

"Psychiatric hospital?"

Weevil points to the Explorer, where Kane hasn't blinked in twenty-minutes.  "Who would doubt you?  Look at the guy."  

He hands the third license to Echolls.

"Nolan Ellis?" Logan reads.  He considers it, and for once, doesn't turn it into a fight. "I can live with that. 23 years old? So I get to be the oldest for once?"

"Yeah," Weevil says, "Victoria's loving fiancé."

"No!" Veronica and Logan say, simultaneously.

"Why can't Duncan be her fiancé, and I can be the brother?"

"Plausibility?" Weevil sighs.  "She would have the legal authority to hospitalize her brother, but not her fiancé.  Kane and Vee seem more like siblings anyway."  

"I could be her _other_ brother."

"You're her polar opposite in looks, and the two of you are more believable together. Anybody can see that you fight like an old married couple. Like I said earlier, you two deserve each other."

Veronica lifts one side of her lip.  "I love you too, Weevil."

Logan still isn't ready to admit defeat.  "Why does she have to have a fiancé at all?"

"Wearing an engagement ring _could_ keep her safe from guys looking to score. V, you still have that ring you wore for that one case you helped me out with?"

"Yeah in my Box O' Disguises, but what makes you think I need protecting from guys looking to score?"

Logan and Weevil both stare at her.

"You're surprisingly naïve about the ways of men." Logan says. "Fine, sign me up for fiancé duty."

Veronica glares.

"Wow, we've been engaged for 30 seconds, and you're already scowling at me like a wife." Logan checks his watch. "Are we done here?"

"Almost." Weevil said. "Jewelry, V?  I'll leave them in your car." He holds out his hand and Veronica removes her necklaces. "Give me your phones, too.  I'll have one of my boys drive up the coast with them tonight.  That might distract the law for a while."

Logan and Veronica hand theirs over, and Logan retrieves Kane's from one of the bags in the Explorer.

"I picked up a prepaid cell you can use to get a hold of me." Weevil hands Veronica a cell phone. "If you need me, text me with the words 'tattoo idea' and I'll go somewhere private to call you back. Keep in touch V."

"I'll try."

"Don't let those two idiots walk all over you."

"As if."

"You'll probably want to buy some new shoes, V. You're kind of known for wearing those boots."

Veronica sighs heavily. "Do you and Logan compare notes or something?"

"Hardly. What'll you do for disguises?" Weevil asks.

"Baseball caps and wraparounds for the boys. I guess wigs for me. I have several in my box. And glasses."

"Good. Hey, you take care, girlie." Weevil reaches out to hug her, but she flinches away.  He drops his arms awkwardly.

"I'm sorry Weevil, it's just..."

"No need, V. I understand."  To a point.  She hadn't recoiled when Echolls touched her, even after the way he's treated her.  

Then again, they're two very dysfunctional individuals - three if you throw in Duncan Kane. They all deserve each other. 

He swings a leg over his bike and waves goodbye.  "You're going to be okay, Veronica. Eventually."  

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Super Target – Neptune Outskirts**

 

It takes a bit of debate to convince Logan to stop at the Super Target on the way out of town.

"Veronica, when you buy cheap crap, it falls apart, and you have to buy more. Let's go to Nordstom's."

"You're such a snob. I thought you wanted to stock up on supplies. We can stop at Nordstrom's and _then_ a grocery store, or we can get everything in one store at Target."

"What if somebody sees me in there?"

 _Rich boys._ "If somebody sees you, we have bigger problems than your snobby sensibilities."

"Fine." Logan pouts.

They stop at the Super Target on the outskirts of Neptune.

"So...last chance to run up the plastic." Logan says. "How should we do this?"

"They'll be able to get hold of the credit card records right away," Veronica says, "So if the item can be used to identify us, such as distinctive clothing or disguises, we pay cash. Cash for gasoline, so they can't identify what we're driving. Plastic can be used for anything else, but I guess it will be a case-by-case basis."

They crack the windows and leave Duncan in the vehicle.

"Get your own cart." Logan says, pushing one in Veronica's direction. "No limit, and by the way, I hate my dad, so...whatever your heart desires."

She gives him one more chance to back out.  "Let me get this straight.  You hate me, yet you're prepared to buy me a wardrobe."

Logan grins. "Your birthday was three weeks ago, right? Think of it as a hundred little birthday presents."

She stares, prepared for battle.  

_Are you crazy? Run Veronica, before he changes his mind._

He must be a mind reader, because he calls after her, "I won't change my mind, but we're in a hurry."

"Don't have to tell me twice. Grab some stuff for Duncan while you're here."

It's like one of those game shows where you can take home anything that makes it into your cart before the buzzer goes off.  First stop, Women's department.  The hangers are color-coded by size, making it easy to identify what fits without wasting time.  She gathers yoga pants, plain Tee shirts, strappy tanks in multiple colors, and zip-up hoodies. She's not known for wearing shorts, so she tosses some in the cart - khaki, olive and black, two pair of denim shorts and several pairs of jeans. Moving on, she gathers a handful of sleep shorts in cute prints and plaids and two packages of socks. After years of being practical about money, she goes a little overboard on bras and underwear, collecting matched sets in various colors and patterns, and fabrics. Black push-up bra? Why not? Matching satin thong? Why not? Lilly always claimed that thongs were more – not less – comfortable. She'll try out the butt floss this once.

Next up, Shoe Department. Veronica gathers flip-flops, Keds, some plain flats, and on a whim, a pair of strappy silver heels to go with the red dress she’ll never have an occasion to wear.

In Sporting Goods, Veronica grabs three sleeping bags - just in case of emergency.  Their fake licenses show Seattle as their home town, so she locates a travel guide in the Books department to study later. She’d hate to run into someone who’s actually _from_ the area if she can’t answer any questions about the city.

In Electronics, she runs into Logan, who appears to be in a manic state.  

"I love this store! You can buy anything here, V!"  He points to his shopping cart, stuffed to almost overflowing.

She keeps her laugh on the inside.  "Yes, as I told you. You're calling me V, now?"

"Well, I heard Weevil call you that, and it occurred to me that if I call you V, I won't have to worry about messing up when I'm supposed to be calling you Victoria."

"Solid plan." Veronica peeks into his cart and laughs. "Logan, what the hell is this?" She holds up a small black sculpture of an amorphous couple entwined in an embrace, and seeming to melt into each other.

"I think it's kind of hot." He drops his eyes, almost bashful. "The pose reminds me of this Rodin I saw once in Paris, and I've never been allowed to decorate before."

Veronica sighs. "Okay…We'll be sure to call our flea-bag motels to have them install mantels for your objet d'art before we arrive."

"Whatever." Pouting, he removes it from the cart and sets it on a nearby shelf.

"No, it's your Amex, Logan. Go ahead and get it. Just remember it's taking up space in the truck."

Logan grins and returns it to the cart, placing it with great care. He adds a PS2 game system, a Nintendo DS, and a portable car DVD player.

"Glad one of us has their priorities straight," 

"Come on.  We won't be running forever." Logan says. "We'll have to settle down eventually."

_Settle down? With Logan and Duncan? How can this be happening?_

Veronica explores an end cap with music released in the past year or so. The Explorer doesn’t have an auxiliary input, so she tosses a handful of CDs in her shopping cart: The White Stripes, Muse, The Strokes, Death Cab For Cutie, Outkast, Green Day and The Killers.

"What's all this?" Logan flips through her selections.

"Stuff that'll keep us awake while we're driving." 

"Have you ever actually  _tried_ staying awake on Death Cab?"

Veronica snorts and tosses in Ray LaMontagne for the fun of it.

They move together to the food section.  Using Veronica's cart (Logan's is full) they toss in chips, cookies, Twinkies, Ho-Ho's, bottled Starbucks drinks, cereal, Pop-Tarts, bottled waters, Pepsi and Skist.

Veronica pauses before a nutritional drink display.

Logan eyes the stuff, warily.  "You don't actually drink that crap, do you?" 

"No, but what if Duncan doesn't snap out of it right away? We probably won't be able to get him to eat solid food."

"Good plan." Logan agrees and grabs several cases.

Veronica adds a package of drinking straws.

They move to the Accessories department where they pick out some extra sunglasses and baseball caps.

Logan tries on a fedora.

" _Hello_ , Justin Timberlake." Veronica says.

"It doesn't work for me?"

"Trust me. It works for you."   _Holy crap, does it work for you!_ "You should get two of them."

Logan grins, and picks out a second hat, doing a little dance move as he drops it in the cart.

Veronica gapes.  _Who are you, and where's the asshole I know and loathe?_

At the checkout, they divide their purchases up by cash and credit card. Veronica covers Logan's eyes with her hand when she adds her underclothes to the belt.

"Bras, Veronica? I hope you remembered to grab some of those little silicon thingies to fill them with."

"Ass." Veronica grumbles.

He picks up the black push-up bra. "Guess you won't need to stuff this one."  He squeezes the padded cup, watches it expand back to size when he removes his hand.  "The marvels of engineering."

Veronica snatches it away from him, and slaps his hand, and passes it to the cashier.  "I changed my mind about that."  

Logan steals it back.  "No she didn't. Ring that thing up." 

The cashier glances a question at Veronica.  

"Don't look at her. I have the money," Logan slides an arm around Veronica and smarms at the woman.  "My girl has always dreamed of having boobs.  I say, on this great day, let her have boobs!"

Veronica elbows him in the side, and he playfully doubles-over.

"What the heck is that?" Veronica asks when Logan adds a very large box to the belt.

"I found us a little refrigerator for our truck!"  He looks proud of himself, like he'd found a solution to a troubling problem.  

Practicality and frivolity in one package. She’ll never figure Logan out.

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Super Target**

Madison was already having a crappy day when she walked through the bright red doors, but nothing prepared for this.  

Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars shopping together at Target.  Laughing together. Flirting.  At Target.  

This can't be happening.  She's waited years for Logan to finally notice her, has practically thrown herself at him, and instead, he hooks up with Veronica Mars?  He'd rather be with his worst enemy?  

Nobody would believe this in a million years.  She pulls out her cell, and begins recording as Veronica lifts sunglasses to Logan's face, as Logan tries on hats for Veronica.  All it needs is some boppy eighties tune to be a disgustingly cute montage in a rom-com.  Veronica covers Logan's eyes at the checkout. Logan ogles a black bra, and Veronica slaps his hand. Veronica smiles up at Logan while he points to some large box.

She's not leaving without an explanation, so she parks herself next to the exit door.  

"Hey guys. So are you…like…dating now?"

After a moment of silent-communication, Logan slides his arm around Veronica.  He leans in, and kisses her cheek.  "It's none of your business, Madison, but yes, we're dating."

"But...you two hate each other. You're always fighting."

"Well, that's why our reunions are so...passionate." Logan smirks. "Right, Cupcake?"

Veronica wiggles the tip of her nose against Logan's.  "You know it Logie-Bear."

Nausea gathers in Madison's belly.  This is repulsive.  

Logan turns sharp eyes on her.  "I'm going to need for you to keep this to yourself for a couple days, Madison. Duncan needs to hear about this from me and Veronica."

Madison sticks out her chin.  "And why exactly  _should_  I keep quiet?" 

"Because you're not the only one with dirt."

She narrows her eyes.  "What dirt do you have on me?"

"Hmm...Does Enbom's party ring a bell?  You cornered me in John's bedroom and dropped to your knees, while your boyfriend was in the next room?"    

Madison shrieks. "Nothing happened!" 

"Because  _I rejected you._ But Dick will never have to hear of this, as long as you keep it to yourself until Thursday."

"Wait! When was this?" Veronica asks.

"Don't worry, it was way before you, Baby." Logan reassures her.

"It better have been! For Madison's sake."

"You're so hot when you're territorial, Sweetpea."  Logan grins down at Veronica, then glances back up. "Well, Madison, we're out of here. Enjoy your win."

"My win?"

"Once you've spread this all over the school, you'll win Gossip for the week. Probably for the year. What could be bigger news than Veronica and I together? Celebrate!"

Madison watches them leave, completely absorbed in each other. Logan ruffles Veronica's hair and kisses her on the forehead.

She’s always suspected they had a thing for each other - even when they were dating the Kanes. 

Lilly Kane, Caitlin Ford, and now Veronica Mars. Why must she always stand on the sidelines while Logan wastes himself on skanks?  

Throwing herself at Logan at that party had been the skankiest thing she'd ever done.  He'd looked so sad, and she'd thought maybe, if she could just make him feel better, he'd finally notice her.  She'd never imagined he'd throw it back in her face.  Especially in front of Veronica Mars.  

_Two days, Logan? Fine! But I can't wait to release this video. I can't wait for the entire school to see who you'll lower yourself for._

 

* * *

 **Day One**  
**Super Target - Parking Lot**

"You know that whole charade wasn't necessary." Veronica says, once they’re out of Madison's sight line. "We'll be forced to pretend we're a couple soon enough."

"Oh, but it _was_ necessary." Logan answers. "It kept Madison's attention on _us_ and not our purchases. She's a nosy bitch. She may have even followed us out here. Imagine if she had seen the truck. Or Duncan."

Veronica grimaces. "Good thinking. So you rejected Madison? I'm surprised. I didn't know you had any standards."

"I don't, really, but it was _Madison._ "

Logan notices Veronica wincing as she lifts bags and boxes into the Explorer. "Hey, you want another Oxy?"

"It's only been a couple hours since the last one, and I had an odd…reaction to it."

"What kind of reaction?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Veronica climbs into the truck and Logan follows, climbing behind the wheel.

"Okay. But if it hurts, take one while you can. I'll drive tonight, but tomorrow, we'll have to take turns, so you'll be out of luck."

"Maybe once we get to a motel. I don't feel right about taking one so soon after the last one."

"Whatever makes you happy." Logan shrugs.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Veronica asks warily.

"Temporary truce for today, I guess." Logan shrugs. "I'm too stressed out to be an asshole right now. Maybe tomorrow I'll be back to my usual self."

"Good to hear," Veronica says, "Wouldn't want people to think you actually had a soul."

Logan flashes her a grin.

"You do realize…out there? You're Nolan Ellis. No famous parents. No millions. No nepotism. No popularity. Think you can survive on your own merits? Think you have any merits?"

Logan sits quietly for a moment. He hasn't thought of that. The idea excites him.

"Yeah. It's like a fresh start out from under the Aaron Echolls shadow. I can invent Nolan Ellis, make him exactly who I want him to be. No expectations from the parents. No expectations from the friends." He winks. "Bring on the real world, I'm ready for it!"

_Why is she looking at me like she's seen a ghost or something?_

"Ready to bust out of this one-horse town?" Veronica asks quietly.

"I've never been so ready for  _anything_ _._ " Logan puts the truck in Drive.

 


	5. Day One - Things Overheard from the Closet

* * *

**Flashback – August 2003**  
**Logan**  
**Aaron Echolls' Home Office**

 

_ Logan dives into the closet pulling the louvered door closed behind him when he hears his father's voice approaching. He isn't ever supposed to be in Aaron's office - unless he’s being beaten - but Lilly will be over in an hour, and he's been searching for the key to the pool house liquor cabinet. _

_ The door is flung open, and Aaron strides in followed by his agent, Harvey Greenblat. Logan prays he isn’t as visible to them through the louvers as they are to him, and the inside of the closet is so musty that he prays he doesn’t sneeze either. _

_ "Did you handle my little request?" Aaron asks. _

_ "What? The yacht?" _

_ "Yes, the yacht." Aaron answers condescendingly. _

_ "Yeah. I found one. 43 ft. motor-yacht. The Titan's Trigger. Huntington Marina, slip 38 on Nicholas Key. Spacious enough to live on, not so large as to require a pilot." _

_ "It can't be traced to me?" _

_ "No, the title and insurance are in the name of a dummy company. There's no link to you, and Lynn will never find out." _

_ "Good…" Aaron says, rifling through a stack of mail on his desk. _

_ "The yacht has everything you need for a weekend trip. Two cabins. Fully equipped galley, shower, washer/dryer, satellite TV. You could actually live on this boat permanently, if you wanted to." _

_ "That's what I asked for." _

_ "Personally, I think you're paranoid," Harvey says. "The IRS will never come after you for such a low amount. You're not even credited as the body double for that picture." _

_ "Yeah, well you can never be too prepared, right? And I don't' recall asking for your opinion." _

_ Harvey opens his briefcase and pulls out a folder. "Here's all of the paperwork." _

_ Harvey hands Aaron a set of keys with a green floatation keychain. _

_ "A guy named Joe Morgan will inspect and maintain the boat every three weeks, so it should be fueled up and ready to go at all times. His contact information is written down, but you probably won't need him as long as you have the key. And remember, anybody who even wants to board the ferry to Nicholas Key needs to be accompanied by somebody holding that Island Pass-card. You already have one, but I got you an extra for a guest." _

_ Aaron pulls out his cell after Harvey left. "Hey gorgeous!" He says into the phone, turning up the charm. "Next Friday: make-up an excuse to get away. Because I'm taking you to Florida. A weekend on my new yacht. I don't know. Think of something. Tell them you're going somewhere with a friend. Bring that bikini. You know the one. OK baby, see you soon." _

_ Logan watches through the louvers as Aaron lifts the seat of the black leather chair against the wall. Under the cushion is a hidden cubby of sorts and Aaron stuffs the keys and the folder there. _

_ Logan waits three more minutes to come out of the closet to be sure the coast was clear. _

 

 

* * *

**Day One**  
**Interstate I-8 California to Arizona**

 

"So your brilliant plan is for us to go live on a yacht and sip champagne all day?" Veronica asks incredulously.

"Sounds like a good time to me, and, technically, I never mentioned champagne." Logan says. Veronica is starting to piss him off with that disdainful  'you're-a-waste-of-human-skin' look she does so well. His plan is a good one, and it's not like she's offered up any ideas.

"What makes you think your dad won't show up out of the blue?"

Logan speeds up to pass an 18-wheeler. "Daddy Dearest flew off to the Czech Republic two days ago to begin filming on his latest action movie,  Inferno of Retribution . He'll be gone for at least three months."

"Any chance he'll come back during his downtime?" Veronica unbuckles her seatbelt and slips into the back seat. Logan hears the crinkle of plastic shopping bags.

"Nope, he's banging his costar. He'll stay on location."

_ And then mom will be forced to smile and shake hands with the slut at the premiere. _

"How can you be so blasé? Doesn't it bother you?" Veronica asks sliding back into her seat with a book in her hand. She struggles with the seatbelt for a second before it clicks into place.

"Nah, I love seeing my mother humiliated time and time again. Can we skip the discussion of my feelings and my daddy issues and get back to the plan?"

"Fine with me. You'd have to actually possess feelings in order for us to discuss them. So…what if somebody on the island recognizes us and turns us in?"

_ Way to get your little dig in before changing the subject. I could run with that one, but I'll let it go. _

"What if somebody at the next red light recognizes us and turns us in? We're talking about Nicholas Key Veronica, not the trailer park. Nobody's going to turn us in for beer and cigarette money."

"I've never even heard of Nicholas Key."

"There's a reason for that. It's one of the most exclusive locations in the world." Logan moves into the left lane to pass a mini-van. "Millionaires and celebrities buy property there for the privacy and anonymity. You can't even step foot on the Key if you don't 'know somebody'"

"So how much do you actually know about this place?" Veronica asks. She idly flips through her book, but doesn’t pause to read anything.

"We spent the weekend at Will Smith's house a few years ago, after he did  _ Around the Bend _  with dad. Then my parents started talking about buying one of the beach-houses there. They're all isolated from their neighbors. You pretty much get a private stretch of beach. Further inland are the mansions, typically for the year-round residents. There's a large marina, a country club with golf courses, a spa, two or three shopping centers, restaurants and night clubs. Like a playground for the rich and famous.

"Even rich people might turn us in, Logan."

"At the risk of their own anonymity. It's in the best interest of the inhabitants to see nothing and hear nothing. You haven't heard of the place because it's a well-kept secret. Were somebody to turn us in, the paparazzi would get wind of the island, and would probably descend upon it like sharks. Nobody wants that to happen.

"How can something like that remain secret? What about public records?"

"Public record will show most of the properties are owned by dummy corporations." Logan gestures like a tour guide. "Move along folks, nothing of interest here."

"So what do we do after your dad's movie is done filming?"

_ We pray he never finds us. _

"Let's worry about that when the time comes. For now, we have a place to stay for at least three months. We can find jobs on the mainland and after our time is up, we'll rent an apartment."

"If we're lucky, Liam Fitzpatrick will be in jail by then, and we can go home."

"In jail for what? Extreme hate with intent to kill?"

"I emailed my father before we left and asked him to dig up dirt on Liam – to find something that will get him put away so I could come back home."

"Aren't you worried about your email being read by the cops?"

"I sent one email for public view asking dad not to search for us. I sent a second secret email the cops will never get their hands on. My dad and I created secret webmail accounts for emergencies. Even a hacker couldn't track that email."

"Cool. Teach me how to do that?"

"Eventually. I'm still not sure about Florida."

"Would you like to offer a different suggestion?"

"I have nothing."

"Well then, Florida it is." Logan examines the steering wheel buttons and sets the cruise control to seven miles per hour over the speed limit.

"You realize we're on the run. It's not supposed to be all champagne wishes and caviar dreams."

_ Always judging Veronica. As if I did something wrong by coming from money. _

"I'll be happy to drop you off at Hillbilly Holler on the way to Florida if you'd like."

"And...there's the psychotic jackass I know and loathe." Veronica says. "Should have known you couldn't put away your stupid vendetta for even one day."

"My  _ stupid _  vendetta?"

_ So she wants to have this conversation? _

Veronica sets down her book and shifts her body to angle towards Logan, her face confrontational. "Yeah, stupid. Your argument doesn't even make any sense. Stand behind my dad or stand behind Duncan and the Kanes. So I didn't side with the boy who dumped me over my own flesh and blood. Big freaking deal."

Logan glances around interior of the truck subconsciously looking for something to fiddle with. "It wasn't only Duncan. You turned your back on me. And all the rest of our friends, too."

"Okay. Let's talk about this. Let's discuss the mechanics of choosing you."

"What? The mechanics?"

"Let's go back in time to my 'so-called' choice, and I'll do it over."

"Huh?" Logan notices a pen sticking out of the front pocket of Veronica's bag and reached for it. Veronica makes no move to stop him.

"Okay, pretend it's 2003.  _ I, Veronica Mars, renounce my father, Keith Mars, and choose  you  Logan Echolls _ . You are my chosen one. So will I be living in your pool house or one of your spare bedrooms?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh. You mean you hadn't intended on providing a roof over my head once I had chosen you? So are you providing me a swank hotel room? Or do you expect me to stay at home."

"You're mental, Veronica." Logan chuckles. He threads the pen over his middle finger and under his index and ring fingers.

"Oh, so home it is. But I  _ chose _  you. Doesn't that mean I'm not allowed to talk to my dad? Do I slip him notes? Should I send him emails? To: kmars at aol From: vmars at aol Subject: Toilet Paper Body: If you read this within the next hour, please pass me a fresh roll of t.p. through the bathroom door."

Logan snorts.

"Kind of ridiculous, huh?"

_ Yeah, for the most part. _

Logan levers the pen in his fingers up and down, watching a gray pickup truck in the rearview as it flies up from behind in the right lane and then passes them weaving in and out of traffic.

"Now let's talk about these so-called friends. The way I see it, out of the entire 09er group, only one of them was my friend, and it wasn't you. It was Meg Manning.

"Wait, you're saying I wasn't your friend? What were those four years leading up to it then?" Logan's face is angry as he takes his eyes off the road long enough to glare at Veronica.

"I don't know, but a true friend would never make you choose between the people you loved."

_ I would have chosen. No contest. _

"That's not the only reason I had a problem with you, Veronica. You told Lilly about me kissing Yolanda for all of three seconds."

"Again, boo-freaking-hoo. You're the one who put your lips – and possibly your tongue – where they didn't belong. Don't put that on me. Plus, we hung out and played video games the day before you went to TJ. You had already forgiven me."

"I forgave you then. When I thought I'd still have all the time in the world to fix things. How was I supposed to know that she'd be dead two days later. I only went to TJ because she dumped me, and she only dumped me because you ratted me out. I would have been there to keep her alive, otherwise." His pen flicking becomes more agitated.

"Logan…" Veronica sighs. "You need to stop lying to yourself. Lilly was bored. The breakup was inevitable. So, what if she had waited one more week to break up with you? The killer could have gotten her then. This person could have been stalking her all along, waiting for her to be alone."

"Abel Koontz-"

"Forget Abel Koontz, he's a patsy." She holds up a hand to keep him from arguing. "But regardless, you were dating Lilly and you kissed Yolanda."

"It was barely a kiss, and I knew she was cheating on me. She'd  _ bragged _ about it. Why shouldn't I kiss somebody else?"

"That was between the three of you. I don't even fit into that equation."

Logan opens his mouth but can’t come up with anything to refute her words.

"They're all excuses, Logan. They're like bullet points or supporting arguments. You use them to make yourself feel better about being an asshole to me. But there's a missing puzzle piece as to what  really  made you turn on me. Probably the most important piece and it has nothing to do with my so-called choice or telling Lilly about Yolanda."

Logan's heart stops and he risks a glance at Veronica. She stares back at him suspiciously.

_ Perceptive Veronica, but that is one conversation we are  ** never ** having. _

He changes the subject. "So, what's going on with you and Weevil?"

"Going on? He's my friend. We have each other's back. Weevil showed up when you were trying to destroy my car with a tire iron. I cleared his name of credit card fraud. I helped him out one or two more times, and I guess now I owe him again. He comes through for me. I come through for him. You might remember what that's like. Or not."

"So there's nothing romantic going on?"

Veronica shoots him a scathing glance. "It  _ is _ possible for a guy and a girl to be platonic."

"If you say so."

" _ We _  used to be friends."

"No we weren't."

For a moment, Veronica looks as if she's been slapped before her mask came back up.

"Remember? Your only true 09er friend was Meg Manning."

_ What the hell? She's the one who'd said it, and now I'm the ass for throwing her words back in her face? _

"Those were  _ your _  words. You didn't seem to have a problem telling me that I wasn't your friend."

Veronica relents first. "We  _ were _  friends. Just not at the point where you demanded that I make a choice."

Logan starts to speak, but Veronica cuts him off. "Whatever happened between us, happened before you made that demand. You knew I'd never stand against my dad, so that's how you knew it would be the perfect way to exile me."

"Can't slip anything past you, huh?" It’s unnerving how perceptive she can be.

Veronica gives him a phony smile and turns to watch out the window. For several minutes, the only sound is Logan tapping out the beat to the radio on the steering wheel with a pen.

"So you all broken-up about leaving your boyfriend behind?" Logan asks when the silence grows uncomfortable.

"I assume you're talking about Troy this time."

"Why? Do you have a third devoted admirer after Troy and Weevil?"

_ Or should I say fourth? Duncan is still hung up on her. Or hell, fifth? _

Veronica ignores that question. "I wouldn't call Troy my boyfriend. We only went on our first date last night."

"Was it a good date?"

"Yes, it was very nice."

_ Ouch. _

"Nice, huh? Kiss of death."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"Kiss of death? It means that you're just not that into him. Speaking of kiss, did he kiss you goodnight?"

Logan grins and raised his eyebrows.

"He leaned in. I panicked. He got really weird, shook my hand and left."

It’s obvious Veronica instantly regrets sharing with him.

"Panicked?"

"Disregard that. It's nothing."

_ Panicked? What's up with that? She's been kissed before. Duncan and….and…. _

"Veronica, how many guys have you kissed?"

"This week? Only sixty-two."

Logan laughs. "Just admit it. How many, Veronica?"

"How many people have  you kissed?".

"Lost count," Logan says, "but only one of them mattered. Now how many, Veronica?"

Veronica speaks under her breath, "One."

_ I could not have heard that right. _

"What did you say?" Logan asks, turning his head to watch her speak.

"One. Unless you count that thing in the limo with Lilly"

"Doesn't count. No tongue. So, one? Duncan is the only guy you've ever kissed?" .

Veronica turns away.

"Wait, Duncan did know how to use his tongue, right?"

He laughs at her hate stare.

"Well, no wonder you're still obsessed with him. We're gonna get you kissed, Veronica Mars. Soon."

"Excuse me?" Veronica asks incredulously.

"No,  _ I'm _  not volunteering." Logan says, putting up a hand. "But at some point on this little road trip, we're going to get you kissed by somebody new."

"Get me kissed? Like I'm some charity case that nobody wants to put their lips on?"

_ She's cute when she's belligerent. _

"More like  everybody  wants to put their lips on." Logan says.

_ Damn! Why would I say that? _

"Everybody except me." Logan amends. "I'm completely immune to your charms."

"I'd say 'right back at you', but that would imply that you had any charms. I thought the whole point of the fake engagement thing was to keep guys from hitting on me."

"I said we'd get you kissed, not laid. Guy tries anything further, I'll kick his ass."

"Logan Echolls starting a fight? Shocking!"

 

 

* * *

**Day One**  
**Interstate I-8 California to Arizona**

 

_ So, how do I feel about being trapped in a car, life, and possible future with Logan Echolls and Duncan Kane? If you combined worst nightmare with...well...worst nightmare should about cover it. _

Only two weeks ago, Veronica had been about to begin her junior year of high school. Due to some sort of state mandate, school started earlier this year - snatching back a precious week of August.

Veronica had dreaded the start of school for two reasons: Logan Echolls and Duncan Kane.

Duncan is easy to explain. When a boy tells a girl that he loves her and wants to be with her forever, of course her emotions will be complicated after he walks away without any explanation. Sometimes, Veronica longs for what used to be. Sometimes she feels inadequate - she must have done something to have driven him off. Occasionally she worries about him – people don't just turn into zombies for no reason. Usually, she’s disappointed in him - the lethargic stander-by is not the Duncan she used to know and love. And sometimes, when his cold blue eyes stare right through her, she feels freaking uncomfortable.

Yes, uncomfortable is the perfect word. Even when he tries to be friendly, he makes her uncomfortable. Just last week, forced to ride with him to the Gold Coast to report on a surfing competition, Veronica had been tempted to barrel-roll out of the moving car just to get away from him.

But if her feelings for Duncan are complicated, her feelings for Logan go beyond explanation.

If an encounter with Duncan leaves Veronica feeling cold all over, an encounter with Logan leaves her burning - burning to punch him, burning to destroy him, burning to pull his fingernails out one-by-one, burning to strip him of every ounce of power he has over her, burning to comfort him to make all of his pain go away, and yes – although even the aforementioned fingernail torture couldn't force her to admit it aloud – sometimes burning to kiss him.

This last seems to occur at the most inopportune of times - like after he smashed her headlights. He'd loomed over her threateningly, muttered something about 'fun, fun, fun' and for a fraction of a second, she'd felt...something – as if Wallace and all of Logan's goons had disappeared, and only she and Logan existed in the world. She'd stared up at him, tire iron propped behind his neck in a way only Logan Echolls could possibly make look sexy, and some deeper message hidden behind the smarmy insolence in his eyes. Her heart had started pounding, and she'd felt fucking alive!

Weevil's arrival and save had almost been a disappointment. Which probably makes her insane.

She imagines it’s simply a chemical thing - something about his chemistry or pheromones resonates with hers when he stands too close. That’s the full extent of it. Nothing more. Nothing. Nada.

Logan has been given everything life had to offer on a silver platter and he squanders it. Beauty, brains, charm, money, fame, popularity, and charisma. People naturally follow him. He’s clever and connected.

Veronica can’t comprehend why, with all of his natural gifts, Logan chooses to funnel his energy into antagonizing her.

But does she want him to stop? Would she be happy if he began playing the "Duncan card" of pretending she doesn’t exist?

No.

Not really.

Logan energizes her. Logan motivates her to go on. Even while he tears her down, he makes her stronger.

One of these days, when she finally solves the Lilly Kane murder, she’ll go straight to Logan to shove it in his smug face, and she’ll thank him for driving her to keep going. She doesn’t expect an apology, but she'll be vindicated. That’s reward enough.

But for a moment earlier, he had really thrown her. His speech about creating a new life outside of the shadow of his father? That’s the boy she'd met that day at Community Park when he was twelve and she was about to turn thirteen. She's always wondered if she imagined that side of Logan.

 

* * *

**Flashback – August 2000**  
**Veronica**  
**Neptune Community Park**

 

_ Veronica's eyes scan the parking lot. "Looks like my mom forgot what time to pick me up again." She sighs, looking up at the cute, too-tall-for-his-age boy she just met. _

_ " Bummer. I guess you're stuck hanging out with me then," he says in mock sympathy. He nudges her elbow to walk with him towards the Home bleachers for the soccer field. Something is…different about the way he walks – as if he weighs thirty pounds less than he appears. As if he's light as air. _

_ "Stuck with you?" Veronica pretends consternation. "Should I be worried?" _

_ Logan pivots on the ball of his left foot to face Veronica, walking backwards without ever breaking stride. _

_ " Be very worried," he says with a twinkle in his eyes. "I have a terrible reputation." _

_ He pivots again to walk forward next to Veronica and she wonders if he has some kind of dancing background. _

_ " Do that again,” she demands. _

_ " Do what?" _

_ " That thing you just did while you were walking." _

_ " What, this?” Logan asks duplicating his earlier movements. _

_ " You practice that!"  _

_ " Do not!" Logan protests. _

_ " Right…" Veronica smirks and Logan hangs his head hiding a grin. _

_ She looks out to the parking lot. "I suppose I can risk hanging out with you for a bit until my mom comes. Are terrible reputations contagious?" _

_ " Only if we share bodily fluids." _

_ " Which I'm sure you're very,very stingy with." Logan amends quickly upon seeing the surprise on Veronica's face. "Sorry, you're probably not used to people as forward as I am. If I offend you, feel free to pummel me." _

_ A smile tugs at the corners of Veronica's lips. "I should be used to it. My best friend exists to shock me." _

_ " If your mom doesn't show up by the time Duncan's game is over, I'm sure Mr. Kane will give you a ride home." He looks back towards the parking lot. "I wonder where he's disappeared to now. He said he was going to stick around and work on some files." _

_ " I'm sure one of them will turn up soon," Veronica says. _

_ Logan steps aside at the base of the bleachers and gives an 'after-you' hand motion. As Veronica begins to climb, Logan's hand touches her back, exerting a gentle pressure to keep her climbing. _

_ Veronica takes a seat on the top row, and Logan drops down on her left, slouching back against the back-rail and pulls out a cell phone. _

_ " Would you like some privacy?" Veronica asks. _

_ " I'm not calling anyone." Logan says, fiddling around with the phone until Veronica hears the sound of a camera shutter. _

_ " Did you just take a picture of me?" _

_ " I did." _

_ " Do you always take pictures of strangers?" _

_ " But we're not strangers. We've been introduced already. Honestly? I just wanted to get a picture of you the way you look now. I'm sure that the next time I run into you, you'll be all neat and clean, and I want to remember what you look like mud-splattered." _

_ Veronica looks down at her muddy uniform and knees. "You realize I just came off the field, right?" _

_ " Absolutely. I like it. Especially the big spot of mud on your cheek. I think it's cute. You don't meet too many girls who aren't afraid to get dirty." _

_ Logan grins at her. His eyes are possibly the darkest brown she has ever seen. She realizes she's never properly appreciated the color brown before. Rich soil, espresso coffee, dark chocolate, hot fudge... _

_ Hot Fudge! She realizes she will never have a hot fudge sundae again without thinking about Logan's eyes. _

_ " Still with me?" Logan asks, his eyebrows lifting in amusement. _

_ " Sorry, just thinking about ice cream sundaes. I tend to do that. Often." She flashes him a grin. He returns it. _

_ " I'll have to remember that. What's your favorite kind of sundae?" _

_ Veronica blushes. "Hot fudge." She mumbles. _

_ Logan raises an eyebrow, obviously wondering what is so blush-worthy about ice cream. Veronica changes the subject. _

_ " So I take it you're not the president of your father's fan club?" _

_ " Not even a member." Logan says, his eyes scanning the horizon. _

_ " It has to be difficult." Veronica says. _

_ " What does?" _

_ " Being the child of two celebrities. Having your whole life under a microscope." _

_ Logan looks back at her, his eyes brimming with emotion. Gratitude, for sure, but something else. She cannot put a name to it. _

_ " You're the first person who's ever asked me that." Logan says, quietly. "Not one single person has ever considered – before you – that my life might not be a non-stop party where I snap my fingers and things magically appear. Nobody gets it." _

_ Veronica senses that he wants – needs – to unburden himself. She puts a hand on his knee. "You want to talk about it?" _

_ Logan looks down at her hand and then into her eyes. Searching for something. He closes his eyes for a second, takes a breath and then opens them again. _

_ He answers her unspoken question. "Girls usually put their hand on my knee when they want to seduce Aaron Echolls' son." _

_ Veronica pulls her hand away, aghast. "I didn't-" _

_ Logan is quick to cut her off. "I know! I realize that." He puts a hand on her arm reassuringly. "But it's happened often enough that it's kind of instinct for me to suspect." _

_ " They actually try to seduce you? You can't be much older than I am." _

_ " I'm twelve. But I'm tall for my age." _

_ " Twelve…" She whispers, her eyes brimming with empathy. _

_ Logan shifts, propping his forearms on his knees and his head lowers so that his hands can thread into his hair. "You'd have to understand. Hollywood is a completely different world. They eat innocence for breakfast." _

_ "What do your parents do to stop it?" _

_ "I don't think my mom is aware of it, and my dad..." Logan laughs bitterly and tugs at his sleeves. "My mom has these parties, and there are people in and out. Starlets, agents, directors, producers, trophy wives, trainers and stuff. They put on this show for my father. It's ridiculously predictable. They'll catch his eye, and then do the whole oral thing - sucking on an olive, or a cherry or an ice cube or something, like they're in a bad porn movie. Sometimes I catch the spillover. I can see them eyeballing me like a stud horse. Calculating whether I've inherited whatever it is they think my dad has. Maybe they think I'm older, maybe they just don't care, who knows?" _

_ He reaches down to scratch at a splat of mud on his shoe before turning his head to see Veronica's reaction. _

_ " That's disgusting. You're not much more than a child yourself." Veronica looks repulsed. _

_ He closes his eyes again, obviously fighting back some emotion. When he opens them, he looks calm. _

_ "I'm not a child. I'm not sure that I ever was one. Thanks to my whacked-out family. People worship my father. They imagine what it would be like to be around him or live with him. But they're completely delusional." _

_ " How so?" _

_ Logan sighs and leans back against the back-rail again, distractedly lifting one of Veronica's pigtails from where it drapes along her back. _

_ " Dad doesn't enter a room in slow-motion. He doesn't rappel into a room from the roof, like in 'Hair Trigger' although he certainly has one. He doesn't sweep my mom off her feet and carry her to their bedroom like in 'The Pursuit of Happiness'. He barely seems to realize that she exists anymore. He doesn't sit at my bedside imparting wisdom and integrity like he did with that kid in 'Recovery'. He doesn't have any integrity. He's just a man. And not a very good one. The non-stop party thing is true, but Hollywood parties blow. And yeah, I have a lot of material possessions, but maybe the price is too high. Way too high." _

_ Logan face is haunted as he turns to look back at Veronica, and he seems surprised to find that he's been weaving and twisting the end of her pigtail around his fingers. _

_ " Sorry." He says bashfully. _

_ " Not a problem." Veronica smiles softly. _

_ " Don't get me wrong, I'm no angel. I've never claimed to be." _

_ "That's obvious." Veronica smirks. "I would guess that you're more of a rebel." _

_ "Eh...rebel tendencies, but rebels are typically loners. I couldn't be a loner if I wanted to. People won't leave me alone." _

_ "So just how does a rebel rebel when all eyes are upon him?" _

_ "He becomes The Ringmaster." _

_ "The Ringmaster? That's an odd choice for somebody who wants to be left alone." _

_ "I'll never be left alone. But at least as The Ringmaster, I get to control the show." _

_ "Does that make you happy?" _

_ "Not really." He turns to study the horizon again. _

_ " Sometimes…I fantasize about running away. Being adopted by some nice, normal family, where I could start over from scratch. Just some John Doe with the same challenges and opportunities as everybody else. Where I wouldn't have to worry that most of my friends were using me for who my father is. You know what I mean?" His eyes drop to his hands, half concealed by his sleeves. He tugs the sleeves down to his knuckles. _

_ " Yeah." Veronica says quietly. "I can only imagine." _

_ " Everybody wants to know Aaron Echolls' son. Nobody ever really wants to know Logan." _

_ " I do." _

_ " I know." His eyes rise to meet hers again. "I can tell you're one of those rare people who are...beautiful on the inside, I guess." _

_ Veronica blushes. "Thank you." _

_ " Hey, I'm sorry for being morose. Something about you just makes me want to spill my life story." He gives an embarrassed grin and shrugs. "Did I tell you about the time I went bowling when I was seven?" _

_ Veronica laughs. _

_ " So…Tell me how you know Duncan." Logan asks, dropping down one row and leaning his elbows back on Veronica's row to her left. He looks up at her from underneath, and once more, she's captured by his dark eyes. _

_ " Oh, I've only met him one time, but I've been best friends with his sister since we were seven." _

_ " You're best friends with Lilly Kane?" Logan asks incredulously. _

_ " Yeah…" _

_ Logan laughs. "That's almost impossible for me to believe." _

_ " Why?" Veronica asks belligerently. "If you're going to bring up class differences I'm warning you now-" _

_ " Class differences? What does that have to do with anything? Don't get your cute little knee socks in a twist." He tugs at one of the socks in question, and flashes an impish grin. "I meant…because…you're like this angel fallen to earth and she's like a…" _

_ " Devil?" _

_ " I was going to say bitch, but devil works." _

_ " Wow!" Veronica says, eyes wide. "Not used to guys talking about Lilly that way. I'm not sure how I feel about it." _

_ " You want to defend her because she's your best friend, but you feel that would make you a hypocrite, because you're aware that she actually is, in fact, a bitch." _

_ " Yeah, something like that." Veronica laughs softly. _

_ " Well relax. I've been best friends with Duncan since kindergarten. I've known Lilly long enough to be able to tell her like it is." _

_ " Most guys…" _

_ Logan cuts her off. "Most guys fall all over their feet to be near her, right? See, that's the problem. She thinks that because I possess a "Y" chromosome, I should happily volunteer to be her slave. It pisses her off to no end that I don't." He sits back up and turns around to face Veronica, pulling one knee to his chest. _

_ " Why should you, when you're so used to having girls fall over their feet for you?" Veronica teases. _

_ " But never the right girls." _

_ " Ah, but from what you said earlier, the right girl wouldn't fall all over themselves for you at all. That would never impress you. The right girl would get to know the real Logan as an equal – never as an object of worship." _

_ " Yeah...but that doesn't mean I wouldn't worship her." Logan says quietly. _

_ " I can see where you might be prone to that." Veronica smiles. "You have a romantic streak don't you?" _

_ " I might." Logan admits, a shy smile forming on his lips. "I wouldn't be surprised if it were in there somewhere waiting for the right girl..." _

_ " It's in there. I can tell. And whomever it does manifest for will be one lucky girl." _

_ Logan's eyes are both soft and intense, and Veronica wonders how such a contradiction could exist. He is about to say something, and then obviously changes his mind. _

_ Veronica feels disappointment. For a second there…. She supposes it doesn't matter. She's too young to think like that. _

_ " So, you'll be going to the public middle school with Lilly?" _

_ " Yeah." _

_ " Duncan and I will be transferring there this school year. Maybe we could sit together at lunch. You could be my first new school friend." _

_ " I'll think about it." she teases, _

_ " Could I bribe you with a hot fudge sundae?" _

_ " With whipped cream and extra nuts?" _

_ " Obviously. So it's a deal?" _

_ " I...suppose…" she grins. "But you have to promise not to antagonize Lilly more than strictly necessary." _

_ " If that is the only way you will let us hang out with you, I'll be on my best behavior." He grins mischievously. "Although I'm warning you, my best behavior might be somewhat equivalent to your worst." _

_ " I'll consider myself warned." Veronica bites her lip to keep from smiling. _

_ " It's just that…I'm not used to people…getting me. The real me. You know?" _

_ Veronica nods. "Yeah. I do." _

_ He shifts so quickly from teasing to sincerity. A girl could get whiplash. _

_ " You're pretty cool, Ronnie." _

_ " Nobody calls me Ronnie." _

_ " Until now." He smirks. "Look at that, Duncan's team caught up and won the game, and we weren't even paying attention." _

_ Veronica glances over to the parking lot. Her mom has arrived and is standing by the car. But why is she having such an intense conversation with Lilly's dad? _

  
__

 

 

* * *

**Day One**  
**Interstate I-8 California to Arizona**

 

"Earth to Mars" Logan says, waving a hand in front of Veronica.

"Seriously? Ten points for originality there."

"Well, I've been trying to get your attention for two minutes. Where were you?"

"Thinking about hot fudge sundaes." Veronica says, avoiding Logan's eyes.

"With whipped cream and extra nuts?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

Logan laughs. "Shocking! Actually, we haven't eaten all day. I'm surprised you're not gnawing on the dashboard by now."

"Such a comedian." Veronica eyes roll skyward.

"So what do you think? McDonalds? Taco Bell? Wendy's?"

"Actually, I think we'd be best off sticking to mom and pop establishments that aren't likely to have surveillance cameras. Like diners."

"You're worried about cameras in fast food joints? What if we just went through the drive-through?"

"There are drive-through cameras as well. Then there will be a record of what we're driving."

"Isn't that taking things to extremes?"

"I'm not saying we should never eat fast food, we just need to prioritize. If the town has a mom and pop diner, try that first."

"If you insist. And it's only a coincidence that diners have ice cream, huh?" His eyes challenge her to deny it.

"Never crossed my mind."

 

Logan parks the Explorer in the back of the parking lot at, quite literally,  Mom and Pop's Diner .

"So, you think we should bring Duncan in?"

"No. He would only call attention to us. We can give him a nutrition drink when we come back out."

Logan looks back at Duncan dubiously. "Sorry DK, but it's all for your own good. The sooner you snap out of this daze, the sooner you can hang with the cool kids…and Veronica."

Veronica rolls her eyes as she pushes a curly brown wig onto her head and adds a pair of horn-rimmed glasses.

Logan looks at it with distaste. "Don't you have any other wigs?"

"Why? This one's fine."

"It's crap. I kind of don't want to admit to being your fiancé with that mop on your head."

"You have a problem with brown hair?"

"Not at all, but the wig itself is crappy. You look like a wallflower or something. Who would ever believe that I would want to date you?"

"You turn being an asshole an art form. I'm so sorry that you're embarrassed to be seen with me."

"Not the real you, just this hideous wig, but I'll survive." Logan says, looking her over. "Stay still." He pushes some stray blond strands of hair under her wig and tilts his head inspecting for any others strays. Not finding any, he turns his attention to his own disguise.

"Where are those eyeglasses?" he asks, and Veronica hands them to him. He slips them on, and adds a black baseball cap.

Logan snorts when he catches a glimpse of the so-called engagement ring. "You can't wear that thing."

"Why not?"

"It's too big. Anybody who knew what they were looking for would know that it's a fake, and then look at me as if I'm some kind of cheap bastard. And anybody who doesn't is going to wonder what else we have worth stealing."

"Your faith in humanity is so refreshing." Veronica says as she exits the vehicle.

"I thought you wanted to lay low." Logan calls after her.

 

Veronica surreptitiously scopes out the diner for cameras before selecting a booth in the back corner. Before sitting, she calculates the length of her skirt vs. the large gash in the burgundy vinyl that would surely pinch her leg were she to sit on it, finally deciding just to scoot all the way in. She glares at Logan in annoyance when he sits down to her left on the same side of the table as her.

"Mind sitting on the other side?"

"So that I can have my back to the door? Sorry, but I watch enough movies to know that you never want to have your back to the door when people are looking for you. But be my guest." Logan motions to the other side of the booth, indicating that  she  should be the one that moves.

Veronica scowls and pulls menus from the holder on her right, handing one to Logan.

"So…do I have to be careful about what I eat?" Logan asks.

Sliding his dinner knife out of the wrapped paper napkin he begins his patented flick, twist, twirl thing. Lilly would slap his hand were she sitting here, but it’s never bothered Veronica much – except for those times when she'd find herself almost hypnotized by his twirling pencils, straws, or chopsticks.

"Why? Worried you'll get fat?"

"I don't know…I wouldn't want us to get caught because I always ordered buffalo burgers everywhere we went, or something," he says. "I suppose we won't want to have any obvious patterns."

"Buffalo burgers? What do you think this is? The Neptune Grand restaurant? In the real world, we eat these things called cheeseburgers. You should try them. Kinda yummy."

A waitress approaches, mid-forties, wearing a hideous polyester uniform. She has shoulder-length light-blond hair and brown eyes that turn down at the corners giving her a perpetually sad look, even when she smiles, which she’s doing now.

"Hi, I'm Laurel. Can't stand to be apart from each other, huh?" She asks, indicating Logan and Veronica sitting on the same side of the booth.

"She gets separation anxiety." Logan smiles up at the waitress.

Veronica glares at him.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, baby." Logan says. "Trust me, I understand. I'm just that lovable."

"Well apparently she is too," says the waitress. "If the size of that rock is any indication." She reaches over, picking up Veronica's hand to examine the ring. "What'd you do, knock over a bank to buy that ring?"

It takes all of Veronica's willpower not to snatch her hand away from the waitress. Her skin is literally crawling. Logan picks-up on her discomfort because he reaches over and gently extricates her hand from Laurel's to take another look at the ring himself.

"Pretty spectacular, huh? It was my great-grandmother's ring. The only thing they had left after the great stock market crash of '29, passed on to my dad, and now me." He presses a soft kiss to Veronica's hand, folding it between his two large hands.

_ That's the third time today his lips have touched my skin. Typical Logan. _

It had driven Lilly crazy how Logan was constantly touching her and giving her little kisses, but Veronica had always thought it was sweet and romantic.

_ I guess that's the only way he knows how to be a boyfriend – even a fake one. _

Logan looks back up at Laurel with puppy-dog eyes. "But she would have been worth every penny...if I'd had to actually buy one for her. Nothing's too good for the girl I love. I'd bring her the moon if she asked for it."

Laurel's eyes soften, charmed by the young lovers.

_ Oh, he's good! _

"I'll take a Coke, and my girl here will take a Skist."

"I'll be right back with those drinks." Laurel says.

"You can release my hand now."

Logan drops her hand and reaches for his menu. "So tell me about these  _ cheeseburgers _ that you speak of."

Laurel arrives with their drinks and Veronica and Logan place their food orders.

"You know…" Logan says, "Even with the cameras at McDonalds, I think we'd attract less attention getting in and getting out with disguises than we did here."

"Probably," Veronica says, "I'm waiting for your  ' _ I told you so _ ' . About the ring."

"I know it's hard to believe, but occasionally, I can be right, Veronica."

"I'll try to keep that in mind, but you should call me Victoria in public."

"Or I could just call you baby." 

 

They both order burgers and fries, and eat in silence. Veronica inhales her fries and then goes to work on Logan's. He raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything. When Logan gets to the last fry before her, she pouts until he sighs and feeds it to her, at which point.

Laurel returns and asks if they would like any desert.

"Two hot fudge sundaes?" Logan asks, looking at Veronica.

"With whipped cream." Veronica says.

"And extra nuts."

Laurel returns two minutes later with the sundaes and the check.

"So how long have you two lovebirds been together?"

"Three years." Veronica says.

"Five years." Logan says simultaneously.

They stare at each other wondering what to say now. Laurel looks at them skeptically.

"Sweetie, you don't get to count those years when you were dating my best friend." Veronica says.

"Why not? It's not like we ever stopped seeing each other." He leans in to her neck. "Remember all those times in the mop closets? You know it was always you, baby."

Veronica giggles vapidly as she pinches Logan's leg under the table.

Laurel backs away slowly, her faith in young love extinguished.

Logan gives Veronica a rakish smile. "We might want to work on that cover story."

Veronica looks at her hot fudge sundae, looks up into Logan's twinkling, dark brown eyes, and smiles back. "Mop closets, huh?"

Logan ducks his head.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't bother Googling Nicholas Key. I made it up (Hey, Stephen King made up Duma Key!). If you happen to be in the mood to research, look up Fisher Island, FL (outside of Miami). It's my inspiration for Nicholas Key - the only difference being that Fisher is condo city, where imaginary residents on my island would have more privacy in their secluded beach houses. The amenties are the same, however.


	6. Day One - Ostracised?

* * *

**Day One**  
**Interstate I-8 California to Arizona**

Veronica watches out the window as they pass mile after mile of brown: brown dirt, brown sand, brown grass. She sighs, thinking about her earlier conversation with Logan.

"I noticed you changed the subject earlier when I asked you what the missing piece was. The real reason you turned on me." She says, turning to angle her body towards Logan.

"I  _did? "_ Logan keeps his eyes on the road. "So how you liking those Padres these days?"

Veronica groans. "Are you going to tell me the real reason you ostracized me or not?"

Logan's eyes flick to her. "Ostracized, my ass! The only reason you're an outcast is because you choose to be."

"Ex _cuse_  me?"

"You  _like_  being the outcast. The lone wolf. Feeling like nobody understands you. Thinking that you'll show us all someday."

"I'm an outcast because you told everybody not to talk to me." Veronica's voice begins to rise.

"Your social fall didn't need to be that many rungs down the ladder. I don't have influence over the entire school. How many 09ers are there? Maybe 40? 50? With maybe 100 hangers-on?"

"Your point?"

"There are  _hundreds_  of other kids at school. Most of whom despise me and the rest of the 09ers. If I told you who you were allowed to like or dislike, would you listen to me?"

"Of course not. I form my own opinions."

"So you think you're that unique? You're the only free-thinker at Neptune High?"

"No…"

"So you just  _choose_  not to hang out with all of those people who would happily accept you into their fold. It's like you've never even considered hanging out with the 02ers, and you call me a snob."

"Enlighten me, Logan. Who exactly are all of these free-thinkers who would welcome me with open arms?"

"I don't know, let's start with Wanda Varner. She's always liked you. She hates me. She's popular. Even if you weren't cool, she'd still probably hang out with you just to spite the 09ers, and as Wanda goes, so does half of the school."

Veronica doesn’t know what to say to that. She’s always liked Wanda. They used to be friends. In fact, even after Lilly's death, Wanda has been nothing but nice to her.

"They would all like you if you let them get to know you. Half the guys in that school would date you if they could."

"You're full of it."

"Veronica, you wear those short little mini-skirts and every male eye is on you in the quad. I see them watching you. You think they stay away because of me?"

"Um…yeah."

"No. They stay away because you give out vibes to stay the hell away from you."

"Too bad they don't work on everyone." Veronica gives Logan a pointed look.

"Who me? You can't scare me that easily." He grins. "But what I'm trying to say is, you're smart, you're funny, and you're hot. Other than the 09ers who listen to me, who  _wouldn't_ want to hang out with you?"

"But…"

"But…If you found yourself a new social circle, you wouldn't be so driven. Being an outcast drives you to keep going. It makes you tough, and hard. It makes you this new Veronica. And maybe some part of you doesn't want to give anybody else an opportunity to disappoint you like we did."

_What the hell Logan? Are you monitoring my thoughts now? I swear I went through this exact thought process earlier._

"Maybe it's all just a big 'fuck you' to me. You stand alone to show me that you don't need anybody. And to show me there's nothing else I can take away from you."

Veronica stares at Logan dumbfounded.

"You know I'm right, V. And maybe you've even told yourself that someday we'll come to our senses and come running back to you with our tails between our legs."

Veronica stares out the window. She won’t give Logan the satisfaction of knowing he’s getting to her.

"It wouldn't have happened, Veronica. Not in that environment. I'd gone too far. You'd gone too far. No take-backs when you have an audience that large."

Veronica turns back to look at him, her eyes icy. "The Ringmaster controls the show."

Logan's breath hitches and his eyes tell her she struck a nerve.

"Show's over, Veronica." He says quietly.

 

Veronica climbs into the backseat.

It takes a while, but she manages to get Duncan to drink a nutrition shake by sticking a straw between his lips and ordering him to drink.

She continuously searches his face for signs of life, but remains disappointed.

"Try talking to him."

"There's nothing to say."

"Oh come on, Veronica. You dated the guy for a year. You were in love with him."

"Your point?"

"You talk to me all the time."

"You and I bicker all the time."

"So what's the problem with talking to Duncan?"

"You may not have noticed, but he's been giving me the silent treatment for the past year. For no reason. He  _looks right through me_. I have no intention of forcing my conversation on somebody who doesn't want it."

"You kind of owe him. He saved you from that rapist."

" _You_  saved me from the rapist. He just came along and added the blood splatter."

Logan's surprised eyes meet hers in the rearview. It’s probably a rare occurrence for somebody to have faith in Logan Echolls.

Veronica sighs. "Why do you want me to talk to him so badly, anyway?"

"Because he cares about you. I think if anything will bring him out of his trance, it will be you. Plus, you're dehumanizing him. There is a real person in there. Somewhere."

"Dehumanizing? Pulling out the five-syllable words, Logan?"

"Yeah, well I'll give you some seven-syllable words if you'll talk to DK."

"About what?"

"I don't know. Tell him about your life since the last time you've talked."

"You mean like the nasty tricks? Rumors? Broken headlights?"

"No…I was thinking maybe your P.I. work."

"Fine." Veronica grumbles.

"Thank you." Logan meets her eyes again in the rearview.

Veronica talks quietly to Duncan. She describes the opening of Mars Investigations. How she started out answering the phone, and worked her way up to taking cases.

When she crawls back into the front seat, Logan is pensive and looks like he’s holding back tears.

_Damn Weevil for sleeping with Lilly and confessing it._

Veronica is at a loss. The vindictive part of Veronica 2.0 is glad he’s suffering after the way he’s treated her. He's never hesitated to use the Duncan card against her, while she's played by different rules, keeping Lilly off-limits.

Veronica 1.0, still lurking somewhere in the depths of her psyche wants to console him. She's always had an overwhelming urge to make things better for Logan, because the sight of him depressed practically kills her. He just feels so…intensely.

Mostly though, she knows that he would resent any attempt to console him. She closes her eyes and leans her head on the window. It’s hard to swallow around the lump in her throat.

She'd done this. She’d known the case was too dangerous. She’d known her father would have unequivocally forbidden her from investigating it.

Twelve thousand dollars stuffed into her messenger bag.

She'd had to walk away from her home, her father, her cases, school, Wallace, and even Troy.

Duncan is catatonic in the back seat, and the political career his family always wanted for him is now up in smoke. She’s trapped with her worst enemy with no hope for a reprieve, and he'd also had to walk away from his home, family, friends, and the various trampy bimbos who loved him.

Twelve thousand dollars just doesn’t seem like enough for all the misery she’s brought down upon the three of them. And Ciaran Fitzpatrick, of course.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day One**  
**Land of Make Believe**

 

_This is going to kill him. He fears that he doesn't have the resolve, but the alternative is..._

_He kills time at Logan's locker. He can put this off a few minutes longer._

_The first bell rings._

_He walks with Logan at his side. His best friend. His number one supporter. He can do this._

_There she is. Still the most beautiful girl he has ever known._

_She turns, delighted to see him. She is dying to tell him about the fun she had with Lilly at Fleet Week her face tells him._

_He just needs to break things off. Give her the old 'it's-not-you-it's-me' speech._

_He chokes. He can't do it._

_He loves her too much to cause her that much pain. To be able to handle seeing that kind of pain on her face. He spent all of last night in the bathroom vomiting. He feels so filthy about their relationship and he just can't make her feel that way too. Now he understands how Logan felt that first day._

_He keeps walking. Doesn't look back. Logan does. He looks back at Veronica and then looks at Duncan in surprise._

_Duncan offers no explanation. Just saying the words have the power to make it real._

_She will be OK. Logan and Lilly will be there to keep her from moping too much. They will take her out, take her to movies, buy her illegal amounts of ice cream. Eventually, she will forget about him. They'll find somebody new for her. Duncan has no doubt that Veronica's next boyfriend will be chosen by Lilly and Logan. Lilly is too controlling and Logan is too protective. Lilly will gather candidates, Logan will weed them out, and Veronica will love again._

_Duncan will never love again. If it were possible, he would rip out his heart. He would put it in a box and present it to Veronica._

_Hers forever for the keeping._

_As they approach Math class, their way is blocked by a couple locked in an embrace._

_Logan stops him with a hand on his arm "Hey, have you noticed the new kid in town has been all over your trailer-park ex?"_

_"Let it be, Logan." Duncan says. He's not sure exactly what he's referring to._

_"Okay, nowhere man. You be the fool on the hill. See if I care."_

_Duncan's stomach is queasy. He wishes he could explain. No. He doesn't want to explain. He'd rather Logan and Veronica stopped expecting an explanation. He doesn't want to think about it. Ever again._

_The couple stops kissing and turns to him. It's his old friend from the marina, Troy Vandergraff and...Not her...the hair is too short, the clothes are all wrong. It looks just like her, but it's not._

_She jeers at him. Calls him a coward. Calls him a quitter. Demands an explanation._

_He turns away._

_A body lays on the ground, bleeding from wounds all over his abdomen. He feels like this should mean something._

_He cannot deal._

_He turns away._

_She's walking towards him. Hair long, fuzzy sweater. Her eyes beg him for an explanation. Beg him to speak to her._

_He focuses on a spot over her head and walks away quickly._

 

 

 

* * *

**Day One**  
**Interstate I-8 California to Arizona**

 

She’s still wearing his shirt. She'd tied the tails together when they went into Target, but now it’s come undone. Like some clichéd 'morning after' scene in a movie, he can’t stop himself from noticing how tiny she looks in his button-down, and how possessive the sight makes him feel. Then he feels guilty for having those thoughts when he reminds himself how she'd come to be in need of a replacement shirt.

God, it’s been a fucked up day for all three of them. Veronica had been brutally beaten and moments away from being raped, Duncan had gone full bat-shit, and himself? First, he had learned that his father had recorded him having sex, and  _had kept the tapes_ , and then…

_Oh God, Lilly! Why Weevil? Didn't I love you enough? Didn't I give you everything I had in me? Well, mostly everything. And in return, you fucked a guy like Weevil?_

For one tiny moment that afternoon, he’d felt hopeful. He had looked in his rearview mirror as he was pulling away from the Community Park, and he'd seen Lilly in the green Pep Squad outfit she'd been wearing the day she died. There hadn't been a moment's hesitation. He hadn't argued with himself. He hadn't tried to convince himself that it was impossible, or that she was dead. He had slammed the truck into park faster than you could say losing it. He hadn't even closed his door when he'd jumped out of the truck, catching another glimpse of Lilly as she ran through the gate of the fence that surrounded the maintenance building. He was halfway across the parking lot by the time he'd heard the passenger door slam. All he'd cared about was getting to Lilly.

When he'd seen that pig trying to rape Veronica, it was if the past year had never existed.

For the first couple of seconds, he was sure that he was going to kill the fucker himself, but he’d been distracted by the sight of Veronica slipping to the ground unconscious, so Duncan had beaten him to the punch. For all of the crap Logan had put up with over the years: his abusive father, Abel Koontz, and fights with the PCHers, he had never felt as homicidal as he'd felt at the sight of that monster trying to  _defile_ tiny little Veronica Mars - enemy or not.

He can’t get that image out of his head. Except when he’s fighting off the image of Duncan plunging the knife into the guy. Over and over.

_I can't afford to fall apart. Duncan needs me. Even Veronica needs me, although she'd never admit it, and I'm not going to fail either of them._

_Like I failed Lilly._

_Liam will not get to hurt them. Not on my watch!_

She seems to be sleeping now. That’s good. Things have taken a decidedly awkward turn today, and he needs time to work through his thoughts on where he wants to take their relationship next. They can’t go back to where they'd been. Those people no longer exist, and they've done too many horrible things to each other since then. To be perfectly honest, he prefers what they have now. It’s taken a long time to fine-tune the banter to the perfect level. It works for him. He enjoys it, and doesn’t plan to let it go without a fight. But the venom needs to go. It’s time.

He'd been listening with interest while she'd talked to Duncan about her investigations. Some of it he already knew - he’s kept tabs on Veronica. They aren’t friends, but she matters. To be honest, it would probably require a therapist to sort through his relationship with her. For somebody he’s spent an entire year tormenting, she’s probably in the top five of people important to him. Or top three. Right after his mother and Duncan.

Duncan…sitting in the backseat unblinking and lifeless.

He wonders if he should try to use some eye drops on Duncan. It can’t be good to go that long without blinking.

"Duncan, close your eyes, and we'll pick you up some eye-drops tomorrow." Logan says, looking over his shoulder, not expecting any response. The next time he glances in his rearview, Duncan's eyes are closed.

_Okay, so he’ll listen to me, too. That's a good thing. God, what am I doing? He should be in a hospital right now, or a psych ward! He needs psychiatric care. But what if he 'snaps out it'? He's too 'pretty' for prison. He would be somebody's bitch by bedtime._

"You asked me a question earlier at the park." Veronica says, not bothering to open her eyes. "Whose life am I ruining today? I guess it's obvious now. Yours, mine, and Duncan's."

She turns away from the window to look at Logan. "I'm truly sorry," she says.

Logan meets her eyes and nods. If they hadn't been enemies for so long, he would reassure her. He’d admit that this was the chance he’s been waiting for his entire life - to get the hell away from his dad - and now he doesn’t have to do it alone. He gets to bring his best friend along to boot. And Veronica, his...whatever.

"So...uh...you doing OK?" Logan asks, not entirely hiding the concern in his eyes. He finds his pen and begins twirling it again.

"Um...yeah."

"I mean after what you went through today."

"I'm fine."

"Veronica, nobody's going to judge you if you cry or...break down or something."

"And by nobody, you mean yourself?"

"I'm not judging."

"I'm fine, Logan."

"Okay," Logan says. He wonders if he should be worried by her calmness. He had seen the terror on Veronica's face when he'd first shown up on the scene. He had seen how, even about to collapse, she'd kept those legs crossed and locked. Any other girl would have broken down. Hell, Duncan had broken.

Veronica's strength awes him.

His thoughts lead him to down a darker path. Back to those days after Lilly's death when his first inklings of hate for Veronica had begun to simmer. She'd cried her pretty little tears, but he had never seen the anguish or heartbreak he'd been searching for. She hadn't grieved hard enough for Lilly. She hadn't fallen apart like he and Duncan had. He had turned on her for other reasons, but her lack of distress over Lilly had fanned the flames. Those first tendrils of hate had begun to kindle.

But today, that animal had terrorized her. He had battered her. He had touched her sexually. He'd attempted to kill her. And all Logan could see on her face was that same steely resolve he'd hated so much after Lilly's death.

_It's not that she doesn't feel the pain, it's that she keeps it hidden inside, where nobody can see it. She's too strong to ever be broken and too stubborn to be perceived as a victim. And I should have seen that. I should have known that._

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day One**  
**Carriage Motel**  
**Eloy, Arizona**

 

The motel room is hideous. The two double beds take up most of the room, each bordered with nightstands. Hideous green print bedspreads match the hideous drapes. The low dresser is scratched and scarred from years of abuse. The pale green carpet is stained and threadbare. A vanity with a sink is outside of the tiny bathroom containing only a toilet and a bathtub.

Duncan lays on one of the double beds, while Logan sits on the other. He flips channels on the TV and cuts tag off their Target purchases thinking about all of the ways he will kill Veronica. If she’s still alive, that is.

When they'd pulled up at the Carriage Motel in Eloy, Arizona, Veronica had insisted on being the one to register for the room, as Logan's face might be recognized. She'd also insisted that they park on the opposite side of the parking lot to ensure that nobody could associate their vehicle to their room.

After getting Duncan safely into the room, they had made multiple trips back and forth to the truck to bring in all their bags and purchases.

He'd thought that she was going out for one last trip to the truck, but that had been almost an hour ago.

When he’d gone out to check, the truck was gone.

He can’t call her, because he doesn’t know the number on the disposable cell. All he can do is pace. And panic. And seethe. And panic some more.

Finally, decides to at least try to be productive and sort through their purchases.

His head pops up when he hears a key in the lock, and he jumps up when Veronica shuffles in looking weary and exhausted.

"Where the HELL have you been?" Logan bellows.

"Doesn't matter." Veronica says, trying to push past him.

"It DOES matter." Logan yells, grabbing her by the arm to stop her.

Veronica flinches and Logan quickly lets go, holding his hands up.

"I was worried." His hands raise to either side of his head tugging at his hair.

Veronica rounds on him. "You don't GET to worry about me. You are NOTHING to me."

"I'm all you FUCKING have!" Logan roars back.

"Then I guess I have nothing!"

"Don't you get it? If anything happens to you, then this was all for NOTHING!"

"Just...leave me alone," she whispers.

"Veronica...you can't just take off without saying anything!" Logan sighs. "We're in this together. Where were you?"

"It's none of your business."

" _Everything_  is my business now. We can't afford to keep secrets anymore."

"Well, you're going to have to get over it. I'm not giving you more ammunition to use against me."

"Veronica…"

"Logan, it's been a long day and I really need to take a shower."

She pushes past him and, after grabbing her bag, walks into the bathroom. A second later he hears the water start up.

Sighing in frustration, he drops down to the empty bed and looks over at Duncan. He isn’t sure if Duncan has fallen asleep, or if he’s keeping his eyes closed because he'd been instructed to.

_What's going on in his head? Is he aware of what's going on around him? Will he remember anything? Is he plunging that knife into Fitzpatrick on some sort of replay loop in his head?_

Logan lays on the bed in his black tee and plaid boxers. His arms are crossed under his head, and he’s searching for pictures in the stains on the wall, when Veronica shuffles out of the bathroom wearing flip-flops, plaid sleep shorts and a turquoise tank. Her wet hair is pulled back into a low ponytail.

He notices that her eyes were red.

_She cries in the shower._

"Veronica…" Logan puts his feet on the floor to rise, but Veronica walks over and sits next to him on the edge of his bed, her eyes staring at her feet.

"I was investigating…a case...and I ran this license plate. It came back as registered to my mother, at an address about a half hour from here."

"So you found your mom?" Logan asks. "Is that safe right now?"

"I missed her." Veronica's voice wobbles. "By a week. She'd been staying with an old college friend, but didn't leave a forwarding address."

_She's trying so hard not to cry._

"After what happened today...I guess...I just wanted my mom."

Logan hears the catch in her voice. He tentatively touches her back, and when she doesn’t flinch, puts his arm around her shoulders, pulling her snugly against his side. She fits perfectly under his arm, her head against his shoulder.

"I am so sorry." He says quietly, and means it.

No wonder she hadn't wanted to discuss it. He had gone too far when he'd ridiculed her about her mother. He'd known it the moment the words had left his lips, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from escalating it. He often couldn't stop himself when it came to Veronica.

 _" I'm_  sorry," Veronica says. "For taking off without telling you."

"Well,  _I'm_  sorry for the way I went off on you. I was just so worried. You could have been hurt, or dead, or carjacked. And I would have had no way of knowing."

"I know. I won't take off again. At least without discussing it with you."

"I won't either. Not that I have anyplace to go." Logan stands. "So...I guess I'll go climb in bed with Duncan. You okay?"

Veronica's face is composed again when she looks up.

"God, Logan. Can you put some clothes on?"

"Why?" Logan asks. "How is what I'm wearing any different from what you're wearing?"

"You're in your underwear."

Logan gives a mock gasp. "Strange. My underwear look almost identical to your shorts. Actually, they're longer."

Veronica sighs heavily. "Good night, Logan." She slides under the covers and turns her back to him.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day One**  
**Carriage Motel**  
**Eloy, Arizona**

 

She feels like she's only been asleep for moments, when Logan climbs in bed next to her. "Scoot over," he says quietly.

"Logan, what the hell are you doing?" She sits up in bed.

"I'm not going to touch you Veronica,"

"You can't sleep with me!"

"Just deal with it, please? I'm going to sleep."

"Why can't you sleep with Duncan?"

Logan evades her question. "Just go to sleep," he says.

Veronica climbs out of bed furiously and makes to climb in bed next to Duncan. Upon touching the mattress, she freezes and pulls back, sitting again on the bed where Logan now lay.

"The bed is wet," she says.

"I noticed."

"I can't believe you just left him like that."

"Check again, Veronica."

Veronica turns on the lamp on the nightstand, and finds that Logan has changed Duncan into a dry pair of shorts and has layered two towels underneath him.

"Sorry," she says. "Why didn't you just tell me the bed was wet?"

Logan sighs. "He's my best friend, Veronica. Maybe I just wanted to protect his dignity."

"Oh."

"He wouldn't have wanted you to know about that."

"I know."

_Just when I think he is the ultimate psychotic jackass, a day like today comes along where he proves himself. Hopefully he will be back to himself tomorrow. I don't know how to deal with him being nice._

She turns off the light, and moves her pillow to the foot of the bed.

"I'll take the bottom, V."

"Nah, that's OK. I'm here now." She slides in under the covers turning her back to Logan.

"Veronica?"

"What Logan?"

"Maybe once we're settled, we can get a dog like Backup."

Veronica sighs. "Logan, you're thinking this will be some kind of grand adventure, aren't you? You and Duncan road-tripping without a care in the world."

"I don't know…" Logan mumbles.

"Where do I fit into this dream world of yours?"

"You're here, aren't you?"

"Do you really see us all as roomies? Who hate each other? Fighting over who ate who's ice cream and who didn't replace the toilet paper on the roll?"

"That's a trick question, Veronica."

"Why's that?"

"Because all of the ice cream belongs to you."

Veronica smirks in the dark. "Glad to know that you're aware of that universal law."

"Besides, we both know what's going to happen."

"And what's that?"

"You and Duncan will get back together and I'll be left-" He trails off.

"With the entire bimbo population of Florida? Plus their stepmothers?"

Logan laughs bitterly. "Maybe Logan Echolls. But Nolan Ellis is just a regular guy, remember? How is he going to get all of those girls?"

_I don't know...maybe with his looks? His charm? His brains? His insane sex appeal?_

"Duncan and I are not getting back together."

"Sure you will. You're obviously still in love with him. I think he still loves you. You'll forgive him or he'll forgive you and you can have your happily  _fucking_ ever after."

_Why is he angry all of a sudden?_

"Goodnight Logan."

He sighs. "Night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the Duncan dreams...think of them as part memory, part subconscious dream wackiness. I'll let you figure out where the line is.
> 
> Opinions of psychotic jackasses don't necessarily reflect those of the author, but do seem worth exploring.


	7. Day Two - The Wrong Name

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Carriage Motel**  
**Eloy Arizona**

 

6:27 AM: Veronica slaps the snooze button on top of the clock for the third time. Why is it going off so early? She doesn’t need to be at school until 8:30 AM, and she barely slept at all the night before.

She dreams she’s being snuggled - back to chest, legs aligned, a hand softly resting on her abdomen. Warm. Toasty. Safe. She covers the hand with her own, pulling it closer.

She’s almost back to sleep when her brain decides to function.

_Snuggling? With Logan?_

She’s off the bed instantly.

"Come back," Logan mumbles. "Comfy."

"What the hell, Logan. You said you wouldn't touch me!"

He opens his eyes partially. "Hmm?" Lifts an eyebrow.

Veronica bites her lip to hide her amusement. Logan looks about 12 years old. Sleepy, confused, and with his hair sticking up in all different directions.

He’s kind of cute in the morning.

The confusion clears from Logan's eyes, and he sits up. "Hey, don't blame me. You were at the bottom of the bed when I fell asleep. You came up to sleep by me."

_Cute, but annoying._

"You had your arm around me."

"You crawled right into my arms. And you're the one who kept hitting the snooze button."

"I was sleeping!" She yells, walking away and hoping to get the last word.

_Or not._

"So was I! Hey. At least I didn't call you by the wrong name this time."

Veronica freezes, and then whirls back to Logan, her eyes blazing with fury.

Logan stands up and steps into her personal space, staring her down. His eyes dance with delight at her loss of composure.

Veronica wants to punch him, put him in his place, call him names, something. Instead, she stands there sputtering ineffectively until finally, she spins on her heel, heading towards the bathroom.

"Shower" She announces.

"I'd love to, but shouldn't we go on a date first?" Logan calls out.

"Argh!"

"Wait! Duncan needs a shower more than you do."

"FINE!"

"Fine!"

Veronica returns to the bed she'd vacated, dropping down in annoyance and frustration.

She watches Logan eye the motel room in distaste. The room is even shabbier in the morning light – if that’s at all possible.

"Get over it, Logan. The kind of places that let you pay cash don't typically have four stars."

"Did I say a word?"

"Your sneer says it all. Didn't your mom ever warn you your face would freeze that way?"

"Didn't your mom ever warn you…?" Logan trails off, remembering Veronica's heartbreak of the previous evening. "Hey. Didn't we see a 24-hour drugstore when we were pulling in last night?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"I need you to make a drugstore run while I get Duncan showered."

"I haven't showered. My hair is…like this!" Veronica says, pointing to the tangled mess on her head. She hasn't seen a mirror yet, but it has to be bad.

Logan eyes Veronica's hair critically. "Maybe if you tried brushing it? Or slapping on a wig? One of us needs to go to the drugstore, and one of us needs to shower Duncan, and I wish we could trade places, but the situation is a bit…delicate.”

"Delicate? I hadn't noticed."

"I mean you and D.K.  _are_  broken up."

"Are we? Wow. I must have missed the actual breakup. So  _that's_  why he doesn't pick me up for school anymore!"

"You know what I mean." Logan smirks. "I don't want to shower him, but I can't really let you do it either. He might be weirded out."

Logan digs through a duffel and comes up with a shower pouf on a long plastic handle. The kind made for washing backs. "Voila! Found this at Target. At least with this thing I don't have to stand too close."

"Go shower with your friend, Logan," Veronica says.

"I swear to God, if you ever tell anybody about this, I will make your life a living hell!"

"Wait, did I miss the part where you stopped making my life a living hell?"

"Yesterday," Logan says, "But it already feels like something's missing in my life."

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**CVS Pharmacy**  
**Eloy, Arizona**

 

Veronica feels a headache coming on as she searches the aisle signs at CVS. There seems to be an unwritten rule in these stores that the fluorescent lights must be cranked up to the level of blinding.

As she passes an end-cap full of cheesy romantic greeting cards, Logan's words from last night came back to her.  _Is_ it inevitable that she and Duncan would get back together at some point?

To be honest, she hasn't really thought about it.

Once upon a time, she might have thought about him. Back in those days, when Duncan was out of her sight, he was never far from her thoughts. However, that was a different time and place.

Veronica has loved five people in her life. Within a four-month period, four of them abandoned her. One had slipped out in the middle of the night. One had slipped off her mortal coil. One had slipped into a stupor. And the fourth had simply become an asshole.

Since then, Veronica has no room in her head-space for romance, hopes, or dreams. Some things in life you have no control over, such as the way other people feel about you. She chooses to focus on those things she can control, devoting her energy to her schoolwork and her casework. Stray thoughts of Duncan are quickly ejected. Sure, she sometimes wishes that she could heal her relationships with  _both_ Duncan and Logan. She wants her family back. And sure, she had woken from a dream about Duncan two nights earlier, but she can admit to herself that the dream was much steamier than their relationship had ever been.

She stops to grab a bottle of Visene before continuing her search.

In one aspect, she thinks of Duncan often. Why had he abandoned her? For that matter, all four abandonments are great mysteries in her life. What had driven off her mother? Who murdered Lilly? Why had Logan  _really_  turned against her? She intends to resolve at least two of those mysteries now that she has 24/7 access to the boys. Eventually, each of them will need something from her, and her price would be the truth. As for Lilly's murder, she isn’t counting that one out either. Two weeks ago, she found the Lilly Kane case-file in her father's safe. Positive that her father would change the safe combination the moment he realized that she'd discovered it, Veronica had spent the following week scanning every document and photo in that file – front and back – onto her laptop. She'd taken the audio cassettes to a contact to have them digitized, and imported those onto her laptop as well. Maybe her enforced inactivity will give her the time necessary to really analyze those documents.

She locates the aisle she has been searching for and scans the products, reading the packages and comparing the prices. Finally, she makes a selection and heads back to the front of the store.

Logan's assumption that her reunion with Duncan is inevitable had caught her off guard. She can’t deny that she still loves him. She probably always will. They'd had a very good relationship before the breakup. They'd never argued. He had been affectionate, considerate, and loving. He had always put her first, and he had planned for a future with her. They had been the Golden Couple of Neptune High. Destined for Prom Queen and King.

Only one cash register was open. Two people waited in line before her, while a bored, Goth-looking girl of around 20 rang up their purchases.

In the negative column, there is, of course, his abandonment without explanation. Then there’s the way he'd stood idly by while Logan and the 09er population had attacked and ridiculed her. If anybody was able to put a stop to it – other than Logan himself – it would have been Duncan. She had never done anything to hurt him. He should have extended the same courtesy to her. Then there’s the vague lack of…passion . She'd felt as if something were missing. As if she had  _needed_ something that she wasn't getting. She had liked kissing him, but her attempts to increase the intensity had always been met with gentle resistance by Duncan. He had wanted only tenderness. Can she ever reunite with him knowing that she might never achieve that passion that had been missing from her life?

But these thoughts are pointless. Duncan isn’t on bended knee begging for forgiveness.

Finally her turn, Veronica places her items on the cash register.

"For my grandfather." Veronica says when the cashier – her nametag read Amerantha – raises a many-pierced eyebrow.

One thing was for sure. Back when they had been the Golden Couple, gazing into each other's eyes at the lunch table,  _nothing_ could have convinced her that less than one year later, she would be buying Duncan a package of adult diapers.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Carriage Motel**  
**Eloy, AZ**

 

Logan comes out of the bathroom with a long towel wrapped around his waist, and parks himself in front of the mirror. Veronica sits cross-legged on the bed wearing yoga pants and a tank top, her hair pulled back into two pigtails at the nape of her neck. She had worn her hair that way the day he met her, except that it had been much much longer then. It’s funny how the exact same placement of her hair could have made her look so innocent back then and so spunky now.

"Did you get 'em?" He asks, applying his deodorant.

"I'm back, aren't I? Can you put on some clothes?"

_Why is she always worrying about what I'm wearing?_

"Don't act so pissy. You only had to buy them; I'm the one who has to put one on him. Which is worse?"

Veronica glares at him in the mirror.

Logan towel-dries his hair and applies some product. He notices Veronica's eyes on his hands as he spikes his hair in a well-practiced routine. "I bought some temporary hair color. I'll dye it tonight, at the next motel," he says.

"Please tell me you're not going all blonde."

"No, I just thought I should go all one color. Cover the lighter tips. I don't suppose you grabbed us some coffee while you were out?" Logan asks.

"That would have required planning, and who can plan before they've had their morning coffee? Chicken/Egg thing?"

"Okay, there's that truck-stop next store. Once I've gotten myself and Duncan dressed, I'll go grab us some coffee while you're in the shower," Logan offers. "Still take cream and sugar?"

"Yeah."

As Veronica rises to head to the bathroom, Logan could swear she checks out his ass.

"That's not one of the motel towels, is it?" she asks.

_Or maybe not._

"I bought some towels from Target. You didn't think I'd use the cheap towels that came with the room, did you?"

Veronica looks at him disdainfully. Once again inferring that he’s a snob.

She’s closing the bathroom door when Logan catches it. "Hey, wait."

She opens the door in annoyance. "What?"

"Here you go." He says, holding out a super-plush, folded towel like a present.

Veronica eyes the towel.

"It's softer," Logan says with a small smile.

"Thank you," She says, biting her lip, taking the towel and closing the door.

_Why did you try so hard not to smile, Veronica?_

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Flying J Truck Stop**  
**Eloy, AZ**

 

It takes about three minutes to walk to the truck stop. Although it’s a straight shot from their motel room, the truck stop's parking lot is huge.

He thinks about the Duncan issue while he walks. When should he start worrying? Duncan had been out of it for at least four days last October, between Lilly's murder and her funeral. It may have been longer, but he hadn’t seen Duncan in the days directly after Lilly's funeral - he hadn't seen anybody except for Jack Daniels. So should they give it four days – or five – before concluding that Duncan’s not going to simply  _snap out of it ?_

Logan opens the door and steps into the cool air-conditioned truck stop. It’s surprisingly immense on the inside. He wanders aimlessly for a moment, belatedly realizing that he forgot his glasses and baseball cap. Luckily, nobody seems to be paying him any attention. That’ll probably change once the police discover the body, and their faces are plastered all over the news.

The Kanes have resources that he and Veronica don’t have. The Kanes can hire a nurse to take care of Duncan. To make sure that all of his nutritional needs are met. To change his freaking diaper – or to catheterize him. He and Veronica are on their own.

Logan finds the coffee counter and begins fixing two cups. One cream for him, three for Veronica. She’s always liked her coffee pale. He adds sugar, stirs, and snaps lids on the top of each cup. He tucks both into a cup holder, and then looks around for something they can eat for breakfast.

Five days, he decides. If Duncan isn't functional by the fifth day, they’ll take him to the hospital. The question is, could he dump his best friend and run? If they stick around, they’ll all end up dead, but he can't see himself leaving Duncan behind either.

He finds a self-serve case of Krispy Kremes, and smiles, remembering weekend mornings at the Kane house when Celeste was out of town and they'd had sleepovers. Jake would always run out early to pick up a dozen donuts before the kids woke. Duncan only liked the cake donuts. Logan could never understand why. Eating a cake donut was like swallowing a rock. You could feel it all heavy in your belly an hour later. Lilly's favorites were the chocolate frosted peanuts, a better choice, but still a little boring. Logan and Veronica were both morning-haters. They would rise last and fight over the Boston Creams. As if he'd ever stood a chance against her. Standing up against Veronica when it came to food was like a blade of grass standing up to a lawnmower.

Logan spends a moment assembling a box and then fills it with six Boston Creams. He has a feeling the division will still be unequal, but at least now he stands a fighting chance.

At the checkout, he has to forcefully remind himself to use cash. He’s so used to whipping out the Amex. Luckily, he’s buried the thing at the bottom of his duffel bag. He should have destroyed it, but the idea makes him cringe.

Logan makes a left out of the truck stop and begins the diagonal walk to the hotel room holding the drink holder in one hand and the donut box in the other. He smiles, picturing Veronica's furious face from earlier. He hasn't seen a perfect reaction like that from her in ages. He'd touched a nerve. Even more surprising was that this particular Achilles heel was all about him.

_You think you're the only one who can tell people apart in the dark, Veronica? Like I really couldn't tell the difference between you and Lilly? One smelled like sin. The other like redemption._

He never did have any impulse control. By the time his brain caught up, calling her _Lilly_ was the only way to get out of it.

_So, I'm an asshole. What else is new?_

He’s almost at the edge of the truck stop parking lot when he hears a voice.

"Logan Echolls?"

He turns to find a man pointing a gun at him.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**LaLaLand**

_There is a knock on his bedroom door – a courtesy knock, since the door is wide open. Duncan doesn't look up. There’s only one person it can be._

_"Come in, Logan."_

_"Hey…" Logan says, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. "How you doing?"_

_Duncan shrugs and resumes his examination of the ceiling._

_"So...uh...you coming back to school this week?" Logan asks._

_Duncan shrugs. "What's the point? Lilly's gone."_

_"But you're still here, Duncan. You have to keep going."_

_"Why?"_

_"For me."_

_Duncan looks at Logan. "I don't see the connection."_

_Logan shrugs. "I need a project. Keeping you sane and functional will keep me sane."_

_"You've never been sane. Why start now?"_

_"Because you need me. I'm all you have."_

_"Veronica…"_

_Pain crosses Logan's face. "No."_

_"Why are you so angry at Veronica, Logan?"_

_"I don't want to talk about it. Why are you?"_

_"I'm not."_

_"Then why'd you break up with her?"_

_"I don't want to talk about it." Duncan answers. "So what exactly do you need from me?"_

_"I need you to shower and come back to school. I need you to lead."_

_"They all follow you, Logan. Why do you always make me pretend to lead?"_

_"Because they shouldn't be following me. I'm too fucked up. I can only lead them down a dark path."_

_"I'm not feeling very light right now, either. Since Veronica…"_

 

_He is in the hallway at school, forehead pressed to his locker. A shadow falls on the neighboring locker, and Logan is there._

_"Hey, Buddy," he says quietly, a hand on Duncan's shoulder._

_"I keep forgetting where I'm supposed to be, Logan."_

_"Don't worry. I've got you, DK. You're supposed to be heading to English right now."_

_"OK." Duncan says, pulling back so that he can open his locker. He fumbles distractedly with his books until Logan reaches in and plucks out his English book._

_When Duncan turns around, Veronica is standing there with a pained smile on her face._

_"Hi." She says. "Welcome back."_

_Duncan wants to reach out and stroke her beautiful long blonde hair. He wants to pull her into his arms and whisper how much he loves her._

_"Thanks," he says._

_He looks to Logan for guidance, but Logan is studiously avoiding looking at Veronica._

_"Are you okay, Duncan?" Veronica asks, concerned._

_Duncan nods. "Logan's helping."_

_Veronica puts a hand on Logan's arm. "How about you, Logan? I haven't seen you around lately."_

_Logan still will not look at Veronica. "You need to go, Veronica. Duncan's barely holding on, and you're making it worse."_

_Veronica looks as if she has been slapped. She turns to Duncan for confirmation, but he looks down at the floor._

_"Oh…" She says. "Okay...well I guess I'll see you around."_

_Duncan sees her eyes well up with tears, and wants to stop her. He wants to pull her close, but she spins on her heel and walks briskly to the right. He knows that the only thing stopping her from breaking into a run is her pride._

_"You made her cry." He turns to accuse Logan. Logan is looking at the floor, but as he looks up in the direction in which Veronica just left, something captures his attention._

_Duncan turns back and sees another blond girl approaching from the other direction, passing the fleeing Veronica without a glance. Upon further examination, he sees that it is also Veronica, but not. Her long hair has been shorn off, and she's dressed funny. He looks back to see if Logan is seeing this, but Logan's eyes are locked onto this new Veronica. He is watching her so intensely that he doesn't notice when Duncan touches his shoulder._

_As not!Veronica draws even with them, her eyes lock with Logan's and a tiny smirk graces her face. Duncan's eyes switch to Logan, who has a matching smirk on his own face. Although both smirks are filled with malice, there is something strangely intimate about it, as if they were the only two people in the world. Duncan watches Logan's eyes follow Veronica until she turns a corner. He seems to shake himself off and turns back to Duncan._

_"So...English class." He hands Duncan his English book, and slams Duncan's locker. Duncan almost trips over a dead body when he turns around. It looks as if it's been stabbed multiple times. He squeezes his eyes shut. He does not want to see this. When he opens them back up, he finds the entire hallway littered with bodies. He will not look at them. Logan's hand on his shoulder leads him around the obstacles._

_He finds his voice. "We should all be together right now."_

_Logan is surprised. "You want to get back together with Veronica?"_

_"No. I can't. But I need her. You need her. She needs us. Why aren't we getting through this together?"_

_"I DO NOT need Veronica." Logan says. Duncan is surprised at the vehemence in his voice._

_The blood from the bodies is starting to run together. It is getting harder and harder to avoid stepping in it._

_"But I just saw you staring at her. You sure looked like you needed her."_

_"Her? Yeah. I need her. But that's a different girl than the one you're talking about. That one is mine."_

_"Yours?"_

_"Just forget I said it. Here's your class." Logan guides Duncan into the classroom and straight to a desk near the back. "I'll be waiting for you after class. If you need anything before then - anything at all- send me a text, OK?" Logan reaches into Duncan's jacket pocket and pulls out his cell, setting it on top of Duncan's English book._

_Logan hasn't been gone thirty seconds before Duncan fires off a text: Yours?_

_Logan's response is immediate. "She's not the same girl."_

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Carriage Motel**  
**Eloy, AZ**

 

Logan is still gone when Veronica gets out of the shower. That’s odd. He said he was going to get coffee. He should be back by now.

After getting dressed, she stands in front of the mirror drying her hair and applying her makeup.

She’s still annoyed about the way that she had woken up. Not because she had been in his arms. Accidents happen, and his point was valid – she was the one who had been at the bottom of the bed. What annoyed her was the fact that she had liked it so much. Not in the _“_ _Logan-Echolls-is-so-cute-omigod!”_  way. Rather, it was how the warm cocoon of his arms had made her feel safer and more at peace than she had felt since Lilly's death, and in that way led madness.

No matter how warm and comfortable he is, he’s still Logan Echolls, and if she’s learned one thing in the past year, it’s that Logan Echolls likes to lash out, and she’s his favorite target.

Of course, as he'd so obnoxiously pointed out earlier, it wasn't the first time she'd woken in Logan's arms. That humiliating moment had occurred the summer before their freshman year. Weeks before Duncan had asked her out for the first time.

 

 

 

**Flashback - August, 2002**  
**Veronica**  
**Logan's bedroom**

 

_Veronica wakes suddenly at the soft kiss to the back of her neck. It's dark, but she knows it's Logan. They're in Logan's bedroom and her back is pressed up against him. His thumb has slipped under the hem of her shirt and is randomly drawing semi-circles on her belly._

_When he presses a second kiss to the place where her neck meets her shoulder, it feels as if she's touched a live wire. Every nerve in her body is electrified. She lets out a sharp breath, and of its own volition, her neck arches back. She's not sure why, but it just seems like the right thing to do. His entire hand slips under her shirt, sliding to her waist, so that she can feel four fingers caressing her stomach, while his thumb stretches around to her back, still drawing semi-circles on her skin. His right knee presses into the back of hers, easing it forward and taking its place atop her bent left leg. Three more soft kisses climb her neck, until she can feel his breath warm on her ear. She presses back against him, feeling a type of 'need' that she can't explain, and Logan's breath catches, his hand squeezing her waist reflexively. His hand pauses in its movements for a moment, before resuming its trajectory._

_" Lilly…" He whispers in her ear._

_Veronica freezes for a second, stunned, and then scrambles up and out of his arms. By the time he's turned the lights on, she's sitting with her back against the headboard and her knees pulled up to her chest. She buries her face in her hands._

_How has this happened? The last thing she remembers before dozing off was her and Lilly, laying on their stomachs at the bottom of the bed watching a movie. Logan and Duncan sat at the top of the bed against the headboard passing a bottle back and forth._

_" Veronica…" Logan says. She doesn't look up._

_" I am so sorry." He says. "Truly."_

_Veronica doesn't respond._

_" Ronnie, it was dark. I've never woken up with anybody besides Lilly before. It was just a misunderstanding. I promise it will never happen again."_

_Silence._

_" Veronica will you please look at me?"_

_Veronica lowers her hands from her face but still will not meet his eyes._

_Logan rises to his knees to face Veronica and gently lifts her chin. When her eyes meet his, he's confused. He's not seeing the recrimination he was expecting to see on her face._

_" I'm sorry." He whispers again._

_" What do you have to be sorry about?" Veronica asks, her eyes slipping away from his again. "You thought I was Lilly. I'm the one who should be sorry."_

_" For what?"_

_" Because I don't have an excuse, okay? I didn't think you were anybody else." She examines her fingernails, the ceiling, the TV – still displaying the DVD menu screen, anything to avoid looking at Logan._

_Logan's having none of that. He lifts her chin again. As he looks in her eyes, a tiny smile of realization comes over his face. "You liked it," he teases._

_" Logan!" Veronica covers her face in her hands again, and Logan pulls them away._

_" Trust me, Veronica. If you hadn't liked it, I would have worried about you. I'm told I have a very talented mouth."_

_" LOGAN!" She shoves him away from her, but she's laughing now._

_Veronica's eyes fall on a folded piece of paper on the nightstand. "What's that?"_

_Logan glances over, picks up the note, and reads it out loud._

 

 

  


**_Sleeping Beauties,_ **

**_Celeste on the warpath. Wants me and The Donut home in fifteen minutes or she's taking away the Amex. Make sure Veronica gets home safely._ **

**_-Lilly_ **

  


_Veronica is racked with guilt all over again. Logan notices._

_" Veronica, will you quit feeling guilty? You didn't do anything wrong."_

_" But Lilly…"_

_" Lilly dumped me. I don't owe her anything."_

_" But I do. She's my best friend."_

_" You didn't do anything. You didn't kiss me, and you didn't touch me."_

_" I didn't push you away."_

_Logan sighs. He lays back down, head on the pillow and pats the bed next to him. "Come here."_

_Veronica reluctantly lays down facing him._

_" Veronica, don't feel guilty. It's natural to lose your head when something feels good. Plus, it's new to you, and you were probably overwhelmed. You still haven't even kissed anybody yet, have you?"_

_Veronica shakes her head, embarrassed. Logan looks almost relieved. Something changes in his eyes, and he's looking at Veronica consideringly. His hand rises to touch her cheek._

Veronica's feels a sort of whoosh in her belly and her heart begins pounding out of her chest. Her eyes lock onto Logan's, and she's sure he's going to kiss her. Her eyelids feel as if they're made out of lead, and without any conscious effort, they close as she waits for his lips to meet hers.  
  
It never happens.

_When she opens her eyes and looks into his, she doesn't see the rejection she fears, but regret. He reaches for her hand, circles his pinky around hers and squeezes. This is the second time he's done that instead of kissing her. She thinks maybe it  is  a type of kiss. Their own secret kiss._

_Logan tries to lighten the mood. "I'll have to tell Duncan to kiss you right here," he says, touching the junction of her neck and shoulder._

_" You'll tell no one!" Veronica yells, shoving at his chest, playfully. "Wait, what does Duncan have to do with anything?"_

_" Oh come on." Logan says. "He's crazy about you. He has been ever since he met you."_

_" What? Duncan barely pays me any attention."_

_" Because he has a crush on you. He's shy. He doesn't know how to ask you out."_

_" Really?" Veronica asks._

_" You can't tell me you've never considered dating him."_

_" Well of course I've considered it. He's a great looking guy. He's smart, kind, considerate. Who wouldn't consider dating him?"_

_Logan looks away. Was that jealousy? Would he make up his mind already?_

_" How long have you known about this so-called crush Duncan has on me." Veronica asks suspiciously._

_" Since right after I met you the first time." Logan answers, not meeting her eyes._

_Suddenly, Veronica is pissed. "So, what? He called dibs on me? I didn't get a say in the matter?"_

_What she  doesn't  say hangs heavily in the air._

_" It didn't go down anything like that. I swear."_

_He looks back into Veronica's eyes and an unspoken communication passes between them. She knows he's telling her the truth, and that he's sorry._

_Logan sighs, reaches out, and pulls Veronica into his arms. She presses her cheek against his chest and listens to his heartbeat until she drifts off to sleep again._

_The second time Veronica wakes, she's laying on her back with her right side pressed against Logan, who lays on his left side, elbow on the bed propping his head up. His right arm drapes across her body, hand resting possessively on her left hip._

_When she opens her eyes, Logan senses she's awake and looks down at her._

_Her first thought at the expression in his eyes, inexplicably, is: "He loves me." She almost chokes at the ridiculousness of the idea._

_" Hey, you're awake. This show should be over in a few minutes, and then I'll give you a ride home."_

_" How are you going to give me a ride home? You're only fourteen."_

_" Yeah, but the Beemer doesn't know that." He grins down at her._

_When Logan pulls up to her house, he shuts off the car and turns to face Veronica. He stares at her for a long moment before holding out his pinky. She sighs, and holds out her own. Whether because of Duncan's feelings for her, or Logan's for Lilly, this is all they will ever be: stolen secret pinky kisses._

_Surprisingly, things don't become weird between them. By the end of the week, Logan and Lilly have reconciled for the umpteenth time. Weeks later, right before school begins, Duncan finally gets around to asking Veronica out. She and Logan pretend it never happened. And truly, what exactly was it? The kisses had been chaste. It was her reaction that hadn't been._

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Carriage Motel**  
**Eloy, AZ**

 

Veronica sighs. One more for the negative column with Duncan. He'd never made her feel like she'd touched a live wire. The fact that Logan had? She won’t be dwelling on that anytime soon.

Veronica had intended to clean-up the motel room while she waited, so that they could be ready to check-out as soon as Logan returned, but finds that there isn't much to clean. She’s surprised to notice that Logan had brought in all of the bags from Target, removed all of the tags and packaging, and repacked.

She finds all of her new clothing neatly folded into perfectly flat squares and packed in a brand new duffel bag. Logan must have had the foresight to pick up new bags while they were at Target. Her face burns for a moment at the idea of Logan handling her new underwear and bras. Thankfully, she’s never worn them yet.

She finds his new game systems packed up in carrying cases. His games in game wallets. A plastic bin with a flip-up lid stores all of their food. The exclusive salon products Logan uses on his hair and skin are rolled up in a grooming bag each contained in an elastic loop.

Inside of a rectangular canvas bag, she finds all of their new shoes, each in a cubby with dividers. A large drawstring bag contains all of their laundry.

Logan had packed a separate small tote bag with hats and shades. Fedoras! The glasses she had picked out for him yesterday are in the bag as well as the "porn 'stache." It appears he’s created his own Bag O' Disguises, much like her Box O' Disguises.

Logan has added a small tray to the nightstand, where his watch and the keys to the Explorer now wait. She imagines that his Pukka shell necklace would be resting there, had he not left it behind.

Why had she never noticed that Logan had these crazy organizational skills? He’d always kept his car and his bedroom immaculate, but she’d thought it was the maids doing the work.

It’s almost endearing – as if Logan uses his little organizing containers as a way of exerting a small level of control over his universe.

So, what’s taking him so long? Should she be worried?


	8. Day Two - The Love Story of ViLan

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Flying J Truck stop**  
**Eloy, AZ**

 

The tan (or taupe or beige or whatever color) car serving as Logan's temporary prison is a complete piece of crap. He has no idea of the make or model. It’s not even worthy of an identification. It has two doors, cheap vinyl interior, and glue giving-way on the headliner so that it bubbles and drapes over his head. Fast food bags litter the floor, some of them not empty - if the smell is any indication.

Logan is handcuffed to the hinged grab handle on the ceiling behind the passenger seat. He hopes that the hardware on the handle is as cheap as everything else in the car as he strains against it. The guy has a gun, but Logan has a feeling that good behavior won’t exactly earn him a reprieve. If he’s going to go down, he wants to go down fighting. It’s a shame that it had taken him a few minutes to figure that out. Long enough for the guy to get the handcuffs on him.

How the hell is he supposed to get out of this situation? He'd vowed to keep Veronica and Duncan alive, and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours before he'd been taken out of commission. 

Can they get away?  _ Will _  they get away? The old Veronica would never have left him behind, but this new version is unpredictable. Has her loyalty to him returned as quickly as his loyalty to her? He hopes it hasn't. He wants them far away from here. Safe. Can Veronica handle taking care of Duncan? Who will take care of her? No matter how big her bark, she’s still a tiny little thing who can be easily overpowered. Fuck. He’s not ready to die. He’s not ready to leave Veronica and Duncan alone.

_ So much for me not failing them. All because I forgot the disguise! How could I be so stupid? _

Logan's captor is of average height. His face is ruddy and his dark hair is long overdue for a haircut. He wears jeans and a white wife-beater. The guy obviously works out. A lot. Logan thinks he can take him, though. He’s taller, and what he lacks in muscle, he certainly can make up for in endurance.

He suspects his captor is neither a bounty hunter nor a cop. If this guy has to make a living using his wits, he won’t be making much of a living.

The Celtic cross tattoo on the man's left bicep is a clue, but he confirms Logan's suspicions when he pulls out his cell, and leans back against the driver's door to make a call. Logan stretches out across the backseat, attempting to kick the man through the window, but he can’t reach.

"Liam...You're never going to believe this. I stopped to get gas and the Echolls kid  _ literally _ walked right in front of my car...Yeah, I have him...In the backseat...He's cuffed...Flying J truck stop in Eloy, AZ next store to...um...The Care-eye-age Motel...I don't know where the other two are...Yeah, they could be...No, no sign of the backpack either...Who cares about the backpack?...Oh...Fine. Okay, I guess I'll see you in about an hour...We're parked behind the store...Later."

"Well kid, looks like Liam wants that backpack. Why don't you just take me to it, and maybe he'll go easy on you when he gets here."

"Why don't you just go fuck yourself?" Logan says sweetly.

"Aww, don't be that way, kid. We don't have to get violent here. Well, my cousin Liam might get violent, but I'm usually a pretty easygoing guy." The man grins.

When Logan ignores him, he shrugs, and snags a porn magazine from under the passenger seat. He leans against the driver's door again, flipping through the pages. Occasionally he holds up a page for Logan's benefit. Apparently, Fitzpatrick goon #1 likes busty blondes.

"Whadya think about this one?" he asks, holding up a picture.

"Looks just like my ex-girlfriend. You may have heard of her, Lilly Kane?"

Although the motel room is within his sight line, Logan avoids looking at it. He doesn’t want to call the man's attention to Veronica's location. Instead, he keeps his eyes on the truck stop. Unfortunately, the man has parked the car at the back side of the building. Only an employee door and a row of dumpsters are visible. Logan prays that the garbage fills up quickly.

"Damn. You dated Lilly Kane? Lucky guy. Must be a hard act to follow."

"More like impossible. Let's cut the bullshit. How much do you want?"

"How much what? Money?"

"Yeah. My dad will pay any ransom. Ask for ten million. He'll pay."

"Sorry kid. You don't seem like a bad guy, and I'd love to ransom you, but this is personal for my cousin Liam. He wants you dead. You and your friends." The man looks regretful at having to miss out on that kind of money.

"You would pass up a chance at ten million dollars for revenge?"

"You don't know Liam! He scares the hell out me. Sorry kid." The man tosses his magazine face-down on the passenger seat, fishes a folded map from the door pocket and walks to the front of his car, spreading the map across the car's hood, and leaning over to look at it. He traces a route with one of his fingers and snacks on one of Logan's Boston Cream donuts.

_ You hold me at gunpoint, and now you're stealing my donuts? _

Five minutes later, a girl rounds the back corner of the truck stop. Her black, jaw-length hair is straight and glossy. She wears a short-sleeved, white, button-up shirt, a plaid schoolgirl skirt with a matching necktie, white knee socks and black heels. Logan’s heart skips a beat as the girl strolls across the parking lot toward the motel.

_ Knee socks! _

_ God Logan! You've been captured by one of the Fitzpatrick goons, you're handcuffed in the backseat of a car, and you're thinking with your dick now of all times? _

Still, he can’t take his eyes off of the girl. Her outfit is one of the hottest things he's ever seen. She doesn’t just walk, she struts. She struts as if it’s her inalienable right for every eye be turned upon her. This is a girl who knows  _ exactly _ how hot she is.

As she passes the car, she notices the man looking at the map. She turns back around and approaches the car.

_ Veronica? How could I have not known it was her. I would know those knees in my sleep. And when did she realize how hot she is? _

Veronica's hand is inside of her bag. She’s obviously prepared to taser the guy. The question is, can she get close enough? Logan exerts more pressure against the grab handle. If he survives this, his wrists are going to be raw.

_ What did she do, circle around the front of the truck stop? And what the hell is she thinking? Who's going to take care of Duncan? What if she gets herself killed? _

"Hi," Veronica says, tilting her head to the side, "I couldn't help but notice your map. Could I possibly look at it for a moment? I'm on my way to Phoenix, and I seem to have gotten myself lost." Her voice is almost unrecognizable, breathy and ditzy.

The man looks up, and his eyes bug out in appreciation. "Hi," he says, flustered. "Absolutely. I can help you out. I'm Danny. Danny Boyd." He holds out a hand, obviously having no idea that the girl in front of him is Veronica Mars.

"I'm Amber." Veronica giggles, visibly relaxing, and removing her hand - empty - from her bag before shaking his hand.

"I don't need to know your name honey, just tell me you're eighteen."

Veronica's smile tightens.

"Oh, who's kidding who? Like I care?"

"So, what are you? A cop or something?" She walks over to the driver's door, peering in at Logan. She grins while he looks at her angrily. How can she take chances like this?

"No. Actually...I'm a...booty hunter," Danny says proudly. He joins her at the driver's door, to her left, leaning over on his forearms.

"A booty hunter? Is that like a bounty hunter?" Veronica giggles.

"Bounty hunter. Yeah...that's what I said. I'm a bounty hunter."

"What did he do? Is he dangerous or something?" She leans further into the window, flashing Logan a warning glance.

"This kid right here may look young and innocent, but he's actually a cold-blooded murderer."

"Really?" Veronica pretends shock.

"Yeah, he stabbed a man."

Veronica gasps, putting a hand on Danny's arm. 

"Wow. We're so lucky there are brave men like you to get dangerous criminals like that off the street."

Logan glares at her. She’s going to get herself hurt, and he can’t do a thing about it.

Danny Boyd preens at her flattery. "Would you like a donut, Amber?" He returns to the hood of the car and holds out the box of donuts for her inspection.

_ And now she gets a donut too? _

"Boston Cream? Those are my favorites!" Veronica gushes, plucking one from the box.

"Mmmmmmmm" She moans, closing her eyes in pleasure. "The chocolate is so rich." She scoops out some bavarian cream with her tongue. "The cream is so…perfect."

Logan groans. He's seen Veronica do this dozens of times. It had been part of their little game – she took all the food and rubbed his nose in it, before sharing the last couple bites. 

It’s even sincere – she  does  actually get that much pleasure out of good food. But now, of all times?

_ Stupid, Veronica! This asshole doesn't know our inside joke. He doesn't know how you used to tease me when you got the last donut! You flash tongue, he thinks you're offering him a blowjob! _

Just as Logan suspects, Danny misinterprets Veronica's signal. She smiles at him, tilting her head flirtatiously, and Danny closes in on her, putting his hands on the car on either side of her, and leaning in.

"Don't even think about it, asshole." Logan growls.

"Excuse me?" Danny says, stepping back to look at Logan. "What did you say punk?"

Veronica slips out of Danny's arm-span, and Logan wraps both of his hands around the grab handle he’s cuffed to. He hopes that by holding the handle, he'll be able to swing his legs out further if he can lure Danny closer.

"I said, keep your damn hands off the girl. How will Liam feel about you picking up a girl when you're supposed to be watching me?" 

"What's it to you? Jealous?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. The least you can do is cuff my hands in front. I've always had a thing for knee socks."

Danny smirks at him in the universal guy language.

"You're disgusting." Veronica says.

Logan shrugs. He has to keep this guy's hands off of Veronica.

"But seriously." He says, "You go back to that girl's room, I'm out of here. I will pull until I rip this handle right off the ceiling, and you'll have to explain that to Liam…And I seriously doubt she's going to blow you right in front of me. But if she does...I ask again, will you please cuff my hands in the front?"

Veronica looks sullen. "I'm glad you're locked up like an animal."

"Says the slut trying to pick up a complete stranger."

Danny Boyd, leans into the window to take a swipe at Logan, but Veronica grabs at his arm before Logan can kick him in the face.

"Forget about him, Danny, he's nothing. So, about that map?"

"Oh sure. Of course." He says, dismissing Logan and returning to the hood of the car.

Logan sighs in frustration. He'd come so close, and Veronica had to ruin it.

Danny leans over and begins running his finger along the map again. "You're going to pick up I-10 around here. Then you're going to…"

Veronica reaches into her bag and pulls out a small zip-lock baggy. She tugs at the zipper seal, pulling out a folded cloth.

_ What the hell is she up to ? _

Logan watches warily as Veronica leans over the map next to Danny. She puts her left hand on Danny's neck, and with her right shoves the white cloth in his face.

Danny Boyd struggles against the cloth for a moment, before sliding bonelessly to the ground.

"Having fun, Logan?" Veronica asks with a grin, while digging through Danny's pockets for his keys.

"I am now," Logan says. "Where the hell did you get Chloroform?"

"At the office. My dad took it off a bail jumper. Thought it might come in handy."

Veronica climbs into the back of the car, belatedly realizing that Logan is stretched along the entire back seat. In order to reach the handcuffs, she’s forced to have to sit on Logan's gut.

"Oof!" Logan grunts. At Veronica's look, he grins. "Just kidding. You weigh like three ounces."   
  
He pulls hard on the grab handle and manages to drag himself to a sitting position.

_ Oh my God, knee socks! _

_ Breathe Logan, it's Veronica. Duncan's true love. Lilly's best friend. You can't act on this. Pretend that she's not sitting on you with her cleavage right under your nose. Quit thinking about licking that little spot of chocolate off the corner of her mouth. She's off-limits. As she's always been. _

"So this is the  extracurricular  activity you were talking about yesterday when you wanted to borrow my handcuffs?" Veronica teases.

"It is now. If you've ever wanted to have your way with me, now would be the time to do it." He waggles his eyebrows.

Veronica snorts and goes to work on the handcuffs. "Yeah...I'll get right on that."

_ Please? _

He hears the click of the handcuff opening, and his left arm drops heavily. Veronica unthreads the cuffs from the handle, allowing Logan's right arm to drop as well. She lifts Logan's left arm and begins massaging it.

"Numb?" she asks.

Logan nods, not trusting his voice.

Clenching his right hand is the only thing preventing him from wrapping both arms around Veronica - crushing her to him and never letting her go. She could have died today. And yesterday. He could have died today. What would it hurt to hug her?

_ She'd never let me hug her. And just admit it Logan, you don't want to hug her. You're such a fucking girl. You want to  hold  her. You want to bury your face in her neck and just  be  for a while. You're freaked out over almost dying, and you think Veronica can make it all better. _

He unclenches his hand when Veronica drops his left arm and reaches for his right. She unlocks the cuff and begins massaging the second arm, while Logan watches her. He thinks the black hair looks amazing in contrast to her pale skin and blue eyes. Like a tiny Snow White. Not for everyday - nothing beats her natural blonde hair - but as an occasional change-up, it’s hot. His left hand rises to touch the wig.

"Logan..." Veronica warns, without looking up.

"Sorry. Just wanted to see what it feels like. It looked silky."

"Satisfied?"

"Almost." Logan answers, dropping his left hand to rest on her knee.

"Do your wrists always get this raw when you play your handcuff games?" Veronica asks.

Logan's fingertips ghost across the skin of her knee.

_ Satisfied now. _

His hand leaves her knee and rises to her plaid necktie.

Veronica's teasing grin falters when her eyes finally meet Logan's. Whatever she sees there causes her to freeze, her massaging of his arm trailing off.

Logan's thumb idly strokes the material of the necktie, as his heart speeds up and he stops breathing.

_ Just one little tug on this tie could pull her mouth to mine. Brazen women have been doing it to men for a hundred years. Why should they have all the fun? _

Logan sighs and looks away, dropping the necktie and running his hand through his hair.

The eye contact broken, Veronica, realizes the precariousness of her position, drops his right arm, and scrambles off his lap and out of the vehicle.

_ She felt it too! And it's about freaking time. _

Logan laughs out loud, and Veronica looks in at him as if he’s crazy.

_ Good! I can exploit this. No reason for me to suffer alone. _

Logan climbs out of the backseat of the car and stretches. When he turns around, Veronica is eyeing him warily. Smirking, he leans over and wipes away the bit of chocolate at the corner of her lips and then sucks his index finger. "You're right, that chocolate is rich."

Veronica's eyes widen and then narrow. She puts her mask back up, as Logan leans against the car, watching her with a self-satisfied grin.

"He's working for Liam Fitzpatrick," he volunteers unnecessarily.

"We'll need to get him back to the motel room." Veronica says. "We'll tie him up there so that we can get away."

"We'll have to do it quickly. Liam told him he's only an hour's drive away. About thirty minutes ago."

Logan grabs Danny under his arms and pulls him into the back seat of his piece of crap car.

While Veronica slides behind the steering wheel, Logan returns to the hood of the car and grabs the coffee and donuts, setting the box and the cup holder down on the passenger seat.

"Meet you back at the room," he says, snagging a Boston Cream and walking away.

Veronica pulls up next to him a moment later.

"What are you doing, Logan?"

"Walking to our room." He doesn’t stop, and Veronica rolls the car along next to him.

"Why?"

"Number one? You are NOT taking this donut from me." Logan takes a large bite, chews, and swallows before continuing.

"Number two? I'm pissed. He could have killed you."

"Ever hear of gratitude Logan?"

"You shouldn't have risked it. The only reason this worked is because that guy is as dumb as a box of hammers."

"But it did work."

Logan finishes his donut and reaches out a hand. Veronica hands him his cup of coffee.

"Still  _ somewhat _  warm at least," he says after taking a sip. "Remember what I said last night? If anything happens to you, it was all for nothing."

"Logan…"

Logan stops walking and turns to face Veronica. "How do you think Duncan would feel…maybe…fifteen years from now, wearing an orange jumpsuit in a prison cell: _'_ _ I did it for a girl, but she took stupid chances and got herself killed two days later anyway _ _.'_ I know. He didn't have to kill the guy, but he's messed-up any chance he could have for a normal future. Don't make his sacrifice for nothing."

Logan hands Veronica his cup of coffee and starts walking again. It takes a few seconds before she rolls up next to him without speaking.

"Thank you," Logan says, finally. "For rescuing me."

"You're welcome. Took you long enough to say it."

"You were pretty good back there,  _ Amber _ . But it scares the hell out of me that you have chloroform."

"Good. Does that mean you're going to start treating me with respect?"

"That's crazy talk." Logan smirks at her. "Well, we're here. Thanks for the rolling escort, but I think I can take it from here."

Veronica snaps several photos of Danny Boyd, before Logan wraps the man's arms around the base of the toilet and snaps the handcuff on his right wrist.

"Let me have it." Logan says.

"Have what?"

"You're about to go off on me, right? Lecture me about how  cruel  it is to handcuff an unconscious man to an unsanitary motel toilet with his own handcuffs?"

"Not really. Actually, my only suggestion would be that we strip him naked and throw away his clothing. That'll slow him down longer."

Logan's eyes shoot up at her. "Who are you, and where's Veronica? You used to lecture me that I acted too cruel sometimes."

"And now I can match you in cruelty." Veronica answers. The detached way in which she makes the statement gives Logan a chill, but he remains silent.

He turns away to pull the wife-beater over the head of the unconscious man. A thick angry scar runs across Danny Boyd's belly. The stitch work is clumsy, unprofessional, obviously not performed by a plastic surgeon, like all of Logan's stitches had been. Logan looks back at Veronica, but she hasn't seemed to notice the scar.

_ She's checking out his six pack! What the fuck? _

"Would you like some private time to  eye fuck  our hostage?" Logan's words are clipped, annoyed.

Veronica's eyes give away that she's been caught, but she recoveres. "Just cuff him and finish undressing him so we can get out of here." She rises and leaves the room.

While Logan packs up the Explorer and gets Duncan buckled in, Veronica goes to the office and pays for one more night in the room. Then she follows Logan in Danny Boyd's car to a nearby shopping center. She hops into the Explorer, after leaving Danny's car in a tow-away zone, and taking the keys.

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Interstate I-10 East - Arizona**

 

Veronica takes the first turn driving while Logan works on setting up the refrigerator. He sits in the front reading the manual, and then slips into the back.

"Tada!" he says,, enthusiastically, after a few minutes. "It works! I can feel cool air."

Veronica keeps her eyes on the road while she listens to Logan add cans and bottles to the refrigerator.

"So, will this thing be draining our battery all night when we're in the motels?"

"Nope!" Logan says, sliding into the passenger seat, with a proud smile. "It has an AC adapter also. We can take it inside with us."

Veronica laughs. "You really have no concept of 'roughing it', do you?" 

"Um...did you see the dive motel we stayed at last night?"

"You realize it's not practical to stay at the Ritz when you're on the lam, right?"

Logan may have suffered a reversal of fortune, but he’ll fight down-grading his lifestyle as long as he can. As long as he isn’t burning though their cash, she won’t say anything. He’s not hurting anyone by being in denial.

Logan reaches behind Veronica's seat and checks the refrigerator. "Nothing's cold yet."

"It's been five minutes, Logan."

"Well, how would I know how long it should take?"

Veronica finds the entrance to I-10 and eased onto the freeway. Fiddling around with the bells and whistles on the steering wheel, she locates the Cruise Control and sets it to 73 miles per hour.

Logan slips into the back seat, taking a seat next to Duncan, and digging out a nutrition drink and a straw.

"Hey DK. Ready for your breakfast? I've got a treat for you. Chocolate nutrition drink! Cool, huh? Can't believe it's only nine in the morning. So much has happened already."

Logan shakes up the drink, removed the lid, and slips the straw in between Duncan's lips.

"Drink, Duncan," Logan says. "Good. So when Veronica got in the shower this morning, I went out to get us coffee, and on my way back, this dude pulled a gun on me. Drink."

The straw momentarily darkens and then goes clear again.

"Good. So this guy ends up being Liam Fitzpatrick's cousin, Danny Boyd. I know, right? The pipes, the pipes are calling. Anyway, so he handcuffs me to one of those handles on the ceiling. What do they call them, 'oh shit handles'? It was one of those ones that swivel a bit on a hinge. He calls Liam, and tells him that he has me, and Liam was only an hour away. Drink."

"Good. So I'm sitting there, contemplating my impending doom, when this girl walks up in this hot little school girl outfit. And it took me a minute to stop staring at her legs long enough to look up and realize that it was our own little Veronica Mars in a wig. Take a sip."

"So she's like ' _ Hi, I'm Amber! Show me your map big boy. ' _  Logan changes his voice to imitate a ditzy girl, complete with giggles.

"Logan." Veronica warns from the front seat.

"What? You were totally doing the dumb blonde voice! So anyway, she's like  _ 'Oh, you're such a brave, handsome man to get criminals like this punk off the street.' _  Take a sip. Then she licked all over this donut, so old Danny Boy thought he'd be getting some."

"I did NOT lick all over a donut!" Veronica objects.

"Right...So he tries to pin her to the car door. I start making an ass of myself, trying to lure him closer, so I can kick him in his face. And Veronica ruins it for me, pulling him away at the last second. Drink."

"So I'm freaking now. How am I going to get out of this? How is Veronica going to get out of this? Then she's leaning over the car hood next to him, and I'm not sure what she's doing. Her tiny little skirt is riding up, and I'm thinking that if I'm going to die today, and least I'm going to catch a glimpse of Veronica's undies first. And suddenly, she's Chloroforming the fucker. Drink."

"Can you believe it? Little Ronnie Mars, badass Supergirl. Drink."

"So then she climbs in the backseat and sits on me. And she's like _'_ _ Oh Logan, you're so hot. And now that you're handcuffed, I can finally have my way with you!' _

"Logan..."

"So we made out all over the back seat. And I made her moan without even using my hands."

"LOGAN!"

"What? Hey! I thought he'd wake up and punch me in the face for that. It would have totally been worth it."

Veronica stares at Logan in the rearview mirror. She tries to look very stern, but she’s afraid that her eyes might be twinkling in amusement.

_ God I've missed you, you big asshole! _

"Drink Duncan"

Logan shakes the drink. "Wow, you drank it all."

Before moving back to his seat, Logan prods Duncan until he was facing sideways with his feet up on the seat.

"What are you doing to him, Logan?"

"Don't people get bedsores if they're always in the same position? I think we should rearrange him every couple of hours."

"Okay, Duncan, well I'm going back up to the front to admire Veronica’s knee socks. You could admire them too, if you would just..you know...wake the fuck up."

 

Bored, Logan pulls out his Nintendo DS and begins playing a video game. He looks up twenty minutes later when he hears Veronica laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You do realize you only need your thumbs to play that thing?" Veronica asks.

"Huh?"

"You use your entire body. You lean, and twist, and make faces. It's hilarious."

"I'm glad to be such a source of amusement to you." Logan says, snapping the DS closed and shoving it back in its case, obviously bored with it. He pulls his left knee to his chest so that his foot is on the seat. "I wonder if anybody's found Danny Boyd yet."

"We can only hope not." Veronica answers.

"I kind of feel sorry for the guy," Logan says. "Naked, cuffed to a toilet. Car towed away."

"He was going to kill you, Logan. He  would  have killed you if he'd known where Duncan and I were. I have no sympathy for him. I could have done a lot worse to him."

"God, you're such a hard bitch," Logan says, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Just the way you made me."

"The way  I  made you?" Logan asks. "Hmm...I think you're giving me credit that I haven't earned."

"Sure you have." Veronica says. "I'm the girl I am today because of you."

"I can't wait to hear this." Logan said. "Please...proceed." He swings his arm out in a matching hand gesture.

"Well, to begin with, you weeded out all of my false friends for me."

"I live to serve."

"You pointed out all of my weaknesses, and I eliminated them."

"I'm a great guy that way." Logan says, nodding.

"You found all of the chinks in my armor, and I covered them up. Made them bulletproof."

"Well I guess that explains why I rarely get a decent reaction out of you anymore - except for that moment this morning. That was one for the vault."

Veronica glares at him. "You taught me that trust is to be earned, not given freely."

"Well you're going to have to get over that one."

"Why would I do a thing like that?"

"Because we're all we have now - the three of us."

"Which means that things are pretty damn dire."

"You forgot: made you learn a little bit faster, made your skin a little bit thicker, and made you that much smarter." Logan points out helpfully.

Veronica snorts. "I'm disturbed at your knowledge of Christina lyrics, but yes Logan, thanks for making me a fighter."

The car is silent for a few minutes, all parties lost in thought.

"You want to know what really pisses me off?" Veronica asks.

"No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me."

"The fact that you feel sorry for Danny Boyd, a thug sent to kill us, but you never felt any sympathy for me - one of your best friends - when you were trying to ruin my life."

"You wouldn't have wanted any sympathy," Logan says.

"No, but I wanted you to stop it."

"Well it's a good thing I didn't or you wouldn't have learned all of those valuable  life lessons  you were just talking about."

Veronica looks at Logan in disgust, and he has the decency to look abashed. He disappears to the back of the truck for a moment and returns a moment later, waving a chocolate chip cookie under Veronica's nose.

"What do you want, Logan?"

"Peace offering?" he says, flashing the puppy dog eyes. He waves the cookie back under her nose.

She pounces.

"Mmmm…" she says, savoring the chocolate and pecans. "More!"

Logan holds the cookie back up to her mouth, and she demolishes it in two more bites.

"Feeding me?" She gestures to herself. "Good peace offering." 

"Want another?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

After three cookies, Veronica is in a better mood.

"So, you think you would have reunited with Caitlin if we hadn't run?"

"Not a chance in hell." Logan looks at her as if she’s crazy. "She cheated on me with that Chardo dude."

"You always took Lilly back." Veronica reminds him.

At the look on Logan's face, she instantly feels guilty. "Sorry, I shouldn't have gone there."

Logan is silent. He turns to look out the window.

"Really. I'm sorry," Veronica says, touching his forearm. She hadn't meant to strike a nerve. She’s stuck with the guy, she doesn’t want him turning all emo on her.

"I wonder what it is about me that screams ' cheat on me', " Logan mumbles.

"How would I know? I barely know Caitlin. I couldn't tell you what was going through her vapid mind."

"Well, as somebody who hates me, I'd think you'd relish the opportunity to get your digs in."

_ Oh God, no! Not the broken little boy face. I'm helpless! _

"You're an asshole, Logan. You're a psychotic jackass. You were a horrible friend to me. You're a hundred other negative things, but you were always a good boyfriend."

Logan looks up in surprise. "You think I'm a good boyfriend?"

"Well, yeah. You're faithful - at least 95% of the time. I'll give you the fact that Lilly was already cheating when you kissed Yolanda. You're affectionate. You're protective. You're devoted. You're supportive. You love with your whole heart. I don't know why they would cheat on you."

"Thanks," Logan says, looking at his shoes. 

"Unless...maybe you're crappy in bed?"

_ Don't think of the sex tape, Veronica. Don't even imagine it. _

"Crappy in bed?" Logan asks, incredulously. "Crappy in bed? I'd be happy to give you a demonstration of exactly how NOT crappy I am in bed."

"Yeah, I'm going to have to take a pass on that offer." 

"Okay, your loss. Then let me draw your attention to those videos from the pool house. As you pointed out yourself, my  bimbos  were very very satisfied."

_ So much for not thinking of the sex tape. Not imaging Logan's mouth kissing up that girl's back…Ugh! _

"I think with Lilly, it had nothing to do with you."

"How could it  not  have anything to do with me?"

"Lilly really loved you. But I don't think one man could ever be enough for her. She was a hedonist. She lived for pleasure and sensation and variety. It wasn't you, it was her."

Logan breathes in a sigh. "Yeah…That was Lilly. But what was Caitlin's excuse?"

"Easy, she's a skanky bitch." That one gets a laugh out of Logan.

"I do have to wonder why you pick girls like that to date, though," Veronica asks.

"I only date the ones who check the 'unfaithful' box on the application?" Logan answers.

"I loved Lilly, but you had to have known that she was a bit of a  _ mean girl _  before you started dating her. You  _ did _ know. We talked about it. Same with Caitlin. You ever consider dating a nice girl?"

"Considered? Only once. Typically, nice girls don't do it for me."

_ Considered...once. _

"Cause they won't put out?" Veronica's words came out more sharply than she intends.

"That has nothing to do with it." Logan snaps back.

"Don't you  _ want _  to be happy Logan?" Veronica asked in frustration.

"Why  _ should _  I be?" Logan's voice raises. "Lilly doesn't get to be happy. Duncan isn't happy. You sure as hell aren't happy. So why should I get to be?"

_ It always comes back to the four of us. _

"So is that why you turned against me? Couldn’t bear the idea of me being happy if you weren't?"

"No," Logan answers, without elaborating.

"So why  _ did _  you turn against me?"

Logan remains silent.

"Why does it come back to the four of us, Logan?"

"Huh?"

"You counted me in your unhappy people list."

"So?"

"So. We're not four anymore. You left me behind. It's you and Duncan - Two. I'm alone."

Logan looks at her as if she’s dense and points at each of them in turn. "One. Two. Three. I count more than two here."

"We can't just pretend the last year didn't happen, Logan. If I'm unhappy, it's because of you."

"We're back to the  ostracizing  thing again? My points remain the same. You could have made friends with any of those people."

"I didn't want any of those stupid people. I wanted  you! " Veronica bursts out, surprising Logan. "And Duncan...and Lilly...You were supposed to be my family. My support system.  You  were supposed to be my best friend after Lilly." She adds more quietly.

She watches Logan clench and unclench his jaw as he stares out the window.

_ I just don't understand this guy. What is he trying to hide from me? What did I do that he feels so strongly about? _

"You're right, Logan. None of us are happy. And you know what?"

"What?"

"Lilly would be so damned pissed at us!"

Logan looks up surprised, a grin reluctantly spreading across his face. "Wouldn't she?"

Veronica returns a tiny smile.

"But how much would she love us being on the run like this?" Logan asks.

"Oh God! I can practically hear her voice cheering us on." 

"What's she saying?"

"What do you think?  ' _ You need to  live  Veronica Mars! Experience this country! Go sightseeing. Eat the most scrumptious food. Dance at the hottest clubs. Wear your shortest skirts, and never call it a night before three boys have fallen in love with you. '" _

"Sounds  _ just _ like Lil. You going to listen to her?"

"If I did any of those things, we would get us caught. If this was a road trip instead of running for our life? I'd play the _'_ _ what would Lilly do?' _  game."

"Liar." Logan smirks. "You couldn't handle _'_ _ what would Lilly do? ' _ "

"You wanna bet?" Veronica asks, belligerently.

"You know what Lilly would do? Lilly would be naked. In the back seat. Someplace with a high risk of getting caught. No matter how badass you are these days, you're not that girl."

Veronica feels the onset of a blush coming, and forces it away. She isn’t even shocked, it’s just always her first reaction when conversations turn to sex, and she’s sick of it. She meets Logan's eyes and holds them for a moment before returning her eyes to the road.

"Was that a challenge, V?"

"No. Just an acknowledgment. Lilly did love sex, and  would  probably be having it right now if she could. No, I'm not Lilly. No, I'm not going to hop in the back seat and take my clothes off. Nor am I going to act like the blushing schoolgirl every time the topic of sex comes up. I'm immune now to your attempts to embarrass me."

Logan gives Veronica a slow clap. "Nice speech."

"Thank you."

"So...uh...you wanna have sex? There's this thing I can do with my tongue that will have you humming for hours."

Veronica blushes deeply.

Logan breaks into a fit of laughter, while Veronica glares at him.

"You are no Lilly Kane," he says, after he gets his laughter under control.

"And she was no Veronica Mars, but  she  thought I was something special."

"That she did, Veronica." Logan acknowledges.

Logan grows serious. "You're going to think I'm crazy if I tell you this."

"I already think you're crazy. You can't do any more damage." She softens her words with a small grin.

"Lilly led me to you. At the park. I had already pulled away, when I saw her in the rear view mirror. When I got out of the car, I saw another glimpse of her running through the gate where you were."

Veronica stares at him for a moment before returning her eyes to the road.

"What if I hadn't followed her, Veronica? What if I'd written it off, or blamed it on heartburn or something? You'd probably be dead."

Logan covers his face with his hands for a moment, while Veronica stares straight ahead.

"You think I'm crazy?" He asks, peeking between his fingers.

"If you are, then we both are. I see her now and then also."

"And she leads you to places you're meant to be?"

"No, nothing profound. She mostly just tells me what to wear."

Logan looks Veronica up and down. "If she told you to wear that, she has my sincere gratitude."

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Interstate I-10 - Arizona**

"Keep an eye out for some kind of jewelry store." Veronica says.

"I'll be sure to make that a priority. Why do we need a jewelry store?"

"Well, since you turned out to be right about the engagement ring thing, I need to find a more...practical...replacement."

Logan remains silent for a minute, and finally comes to a decision. He steps to the back of the truck, digs through the inner pocket of his duffel for a moment and then hands Veronica a ring.

"If you promise not to lose it, you can wear this ring. See if that fits." He watches Veronica slip it onto her finger.

"It fits perfectly. Of course I won't lose it, but where did you get it? You weren't planning to propose to Lilly, were you?"

"At fifteen years old? Um...No. Actually, it's my mom's. I took it to remember her by."

"You stole your mom's engagement ring?" Veronica asks, her voice rising. "What were you thinking?"

"Not the one she wears now. She hasn't worn this one in years. It isn't worth much, and she won't even notice it's gone."

When Logan had visited his mother's room for a memento, he hadn't anything in particular in mind. When he'd idly flipped open the lid of her jewelry chest, the ring box had caught his eye, reminding him of a better time when his parents had been in love, and Aaron had still been his 'daddy'.

 

Logan could split his life into two parts:  _ Breaking Point _  and Before the _ Breaking Point _ .

Before the _ Breaking Point _ , Logan remembers having a real family. Two devoted parents. A father who read him bedtime stories every night. A mother who took him to the playground, and took pride in raising him without a nanny. They'd been in love. Often when Logan entered a room, he'd catch them making out like teenagers.

Back in those days, though well-known, Aaron and Lynn had been known as Indy darlings. They'd only accepted scripts they felt passionate about. Aaron had already won his first Oscar, and Lynn had been nominated.

At some point during his eighth year, things began changing. His parents began whispering about somebody named Trina. They began having more discussions about how they would pay for the exclusive private school he attended. His father was of the opinion that public school would be fine  _ for both of them _ . He'd attended public school, after all. Logan's mother insisted he remain at private school. She wanted him to have all the advantages in life.

The first time Logan ever heard the words  _ Breaking Point _  coincided with the first time he'd ever heard his parents argue. Lynn accused Aaron of selling out. Aaron argued that it would pay for private school. Lynn argued that it was teaching Logan the wrong kind of lesson.

Days later, Harvey Weinstein sat at the patio table with Aaron and Lynn, while Logan played with his cars on the ground. "For God's sake, Aaron, get your wife a proper engagement ring. You're A-List now. You have an image to project."

"I love the ring I have, Harvey." Lynn insisted. "It may be small, but it was given to me by the man I love."

Nevertheless, a week later, Lynn's engagement ring was retired, and she began sporting a three-carat rock.

Not long after that, things began changing. The family cars disappeared. Beemers and Jags arrived. Aaron acquired a driver. Lynn acquired a housekeeper. One morning, he went to down the kitchen for breakfast, and was served by a cook.

With the new staff, Lynn freed up several hours a day.

It started with a trainer. If she could just tighten up a bit, she might be offered more roles. Spa trips became a regular occurrence. Collagen appeared in her lips. Silicon appeared in her breasts. A simple desire to be more fit gave way to pursuit of perfection. Maybe she knew even then that she could never hold Aaron's eye.

Trips to Rodeo Drive increased. Trips to the playground decreased.

The first time Aaron struck Logan, he cried as hard as his son, cradling him to his chest and whispering "Never again." and "I swore I'd never be like him."

Logan was eight years old, and his parents called him down from his room.

"Logan, we have to talk to you about something important." Aaron began. "Before I met your mom, I used to be married to another woman named Barbara."

Logan was stunned.

"Barbara was a lot older than I was, and couldn't have a baby. She really wanted to have one, though, so we adopted a baby girl. Her name is Trina, and she's twelve years old now."

Seeing how unhappy his mother looked made Logan upset.

"Logan, yesterday, Barbara was in a car accident. She didn't survive. So your sister Trina is going to be coming to live with us now."

Logan looked to his mother for confirmation. She nodded, her lips tight.

"I don't want some stupid girl to come live with us! I don't want a sister!" Logan yelled, and ran away.

"Logan get back here right now." His father commanded.

Logan stopped and turned around, but didn't come back. Aaron rose and walked to Logan.

"I want you to apologize right now. That behavior will not be tolerated."

"I don't care! You shouldn't have married some other lady. And you shouldn't bring some stupid  _ girl _  to our family! I hate you!"

One minute Logan was facing his father, the next he was flying through the air until he hit the wall.

Aaron stood over him, anguish on his face, and scooped him up into his arms.

"I'm so sorry."

"Never again."

"I swore I'd never…"

The next day, Aaron took Logan to Toys R Us and told him to pick out anything in the store. Logan was the first kid he knew to get the first generation Sony Playstation.

Aaron kept his promise for several months, but things were changing. Breaking Point had been so successful that Aaron was being rebranded as an action star. He needed to be tanned and manicured. He needed a trainer and martial arts lessons. He was never home anymore, and when he was, he was constantly on-edge. It was only a matter of time before he hurt Logan again.

Thus began a cycle of abuse, contrition, and bribes. The more severe the beating, the larger the bribes: video games, jet skis, dirt bikes, laptops, anything Logan asked for, he received.

Logan couldn't remain unchanged. The formerly happy little boy became angry and sullen. He had to be worthless. Why else would the father who had promised to always keep him safe turn against him? Why else would the mother who used to revolve her world around him begin dropping out of his life when he needed her the most? Why did she smell funny when she came in to kiss him goodnight? He withdrew and quit playing team sports. He developed a vengeful side, purposely embarrassing his parents in public. If he was going to be beaten anyway, might as well get some enjoyment out of it.

Logan stopped accepting Aaron's apologies. "You're not sorry at all. If you really loved me, you wouldn't hurt me." Aaron stopped apologizing, and started making excuses: "You walked right into that cigarette." Sometimes Logan thought Aaron actually believed his excuses. Maybe it helped him sleep at night.

Logan began recognizing the cycle. He worked out that sometimes the rewards outweighed the pain. He learned to manipulate the system.

Having no kids his age in their neighborhood to hang out with, Logan begged his parents for months to move to Neptune where Duncan lived. After being expelled from private school for the firecracker incident, and the subsequent hospitalization caused by Aaron's beating, the Echolls closed on a house within the city limits.

The XTerra was the result of another manipulation and hospitalization.

And he  _ still _ sometimes liked the bastard. In the weeks between beatings, Aaron can be charming, caring, almost the father he used to be. Logan hates how he falls under Aaron's spell, thinking he's  _ changed _  only to be blindsided all over again. That's why this is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. If he’s lucky, the next time he sees Aaron, he'll be eighteen and no longer under his control.

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Interstate I-10**  
**Arizona**

Logan is unusually quiet and beginning to look depressed. Lilly again? Or thinking about his parents?

"So you think this engagement ring will be more believable?" Veronica asks, to snap him out of it.

"Huh?" Logan looks over at the ring on Veronica's finger. "Yeah, it's real, but it doesn't scream ' _ look at me ' _  like the other one did.

They’re quiet for a few moments, and then Logan breaks the silence. "We still need to work on our story?"

"Our story?"

"Our love story – Nolan and Vickie."

"Love story?" Veronica snorts.

"Umm…people do usually get engaged for love. Unless it's for sex, but I'm still a bit young for a trophy wife."

"You're a bit young for any wife."

"We're talking about Nolan here."

"Right. OK, so how did we meet."

"Soccer field. Twelve years old. Went with a friend and there you were."

"Um. That's how  _ we _  met."

"Don't they always say you should have elements of truth in your cover story? So you don't get tripped up?"

"You watch a lot of movies, Logan, but yeah, that makes sense. So we've been together since we were twelve? Ten years, according to our fake ID's."

"No." Logan says. "It was love at first sight, but we didn't get together until years later. You dated my best friend…what should we call him?...Dick?"

"Just the idea of dating Dick Casablancas makes me nauseated."

"Well, we can't call him Duncan. The first thing people will think of is Duncan Kane, and then they'll connect the dots. So, I went with the name of my second best friend."

"Fine, whatever. I dated your best friend Dick, who just happened to  look  like Duncan. Why does it have to be love at first sight?"

"Because it's romantic." Logan answers.

"If it was love at first sight, why didn't we just get together at the time?"

Logan is silent for a minute, staring out the window. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair before answering her question. "Because I didn't want to ruin you. I was damaged and you were perfect. I thought your halo was pretty, and I didn't want to tarnish it."

"Wow, you put a lot of thought into this story." Veronica laughs. "You're making things way too complicated. What is this? As the child of two actors, you think your character needs to have a motivation? Forget about the angst. Simple stories are more believable."

"Simple how?"

"Simple, like you wanted to fuck my best friend…Lucy. Plain and simple."

Logan slams his hand down on the top of his car door. _"_ _ It wasn't even like that! " _

"What wasn't?" Veronica asks innocently.

Logan sighs. "...Nolan and Vickie. I just...don't want to be saddled with an asshole backstory. It wasn't like that for us. Getting laid was never my motivation. I wanted you to stay clean and pure, and Lucy was just…a better fit. She already had her issues. I couldn't ruin her."

"So what? We snuck around? Met in mop closets?"

"Nah…My girl wouldn't do that. I may have mentioned a halo." Logan grins. "No, she began dating my best friend. Became a perfect little Stepford girlfriend. Lost her spunk. And I dated Lucy. Until the day we found out that Lucy and Dick were cheating on us. With each other."

"That's disgusting!" Veronica says.

"Sheesh, Veronica. I said Dick and Lucy, not Duncan and Lilly. Try to keep up."

"Whatever." Veronica laughs. "So, finding out about our cheating significant others brought us together?"

"No, that's your basic _'_ _ pair the spares _ _'_ plot. Too easy. We had to work our way to each other."

"How?"

"I haven't worked those details out yet."

"So you somehow got over your Madonna complex?"

"No, not quite."

Veronica arched an eyebrow. "So how did we finally get together then?"

"I dirtied you up."

Veronica almost chokes before turning to stare at Logan.

"I knocked you off your pedestal, and set it on fire so that you could never climb back up."

It’s a moment before Veronica can find words. Her voice sounds shaky to her ears. "And what exactly did that accomplish? If you liked my halo so much…"

"It turned out I liked your devil horns even more." Logan says, and for some reason Veronica feels a tingling in her belly.

_ Remember Veronica, we're talking about Vickie and Nolan here. _

"So I had to come down to your level to be  worthy  of your attention? Why couldn't you work on rising up to my level?"

"That's what I'm trying to do now - be a better man. Driving with you across the country, taking your poor crazy brother to the looney bin."

"So when did we get together?"

"When we were sixteen. We had to work together on something - maybe a school project, or some kind of community service. We argued a lot. And then you kissed me."

" I  kissed  you?  Why do I have to be the one who made the move?"

"Because, in any good redemption story, it's the girl's ability to believe in the guy's inherent goodness that makes him strive to be a better man. Her faith, without any proof, is what changes everything."

_ He's cute with all of his movie parables. _

"So how many years does that make us?" she asks, calculating the math in her head.

"About six years." Logan said.

"Scary," Veronica says. "Six minutes seems like too much. So when – and why – did we decide to get married?"

"Why? Because we're in love. When? Let's say about a year ago."

"How did you propose? Never mind. You're Logan Echolls. Let me guess: you did it on the Jumbotron at a baseball game."

"No." He scoffs.

"You did it in skywriting?"

"No, Nolan isn't rich. Plus, what if it's windy?"

"Umm…ring in a champagne glass."

"God no! Cheesy cliché."

"Ring hidden in a piece of cake."

"You'd probably choke on it. I've got one."

"What?"

"Ring in place of the cherry on a hot fudge sundae."

Veronica's eyes shoot up to Logan's. "With whipped cream and extra nuts."

_ I'm like one of Pavlov's dogs. Hot fudge = Logan. Always has. Always will. _

"It has a certain…Logan/Veronica vibe to it." She admits. "But aren't we talking about Nolan and Vickie?"

"All good cover stories have elements of the truth." Logan reminds her. "We even have a cool couple name."

"We do NOT NEED a couple name! What is this, Junior High? What? Nockie? NoToria?"

Logan grins. "No, not Nockie. ViLan."

"As in: chillin' like a...?"

"ViLan."

Veronica laughs. "Well, it does describe at least one of us."

"Yeah, but if you try  _ really _  hard, I'm sure you can be redeemed."

Veronica rolls her eyes. "NoToria is kind of cool too. It's weird when they come out sounding like a real word."

"That's weird? Then I guess you never sat around thinking about what  ours  would be."

"Ours? Why would I?...VeGan? LoRonica? LoVe? Oh..." Veronica looks straight ahead, and tries to keep from blushing. "Yeah, weird."

"Lilly got a kick out of that one," Logan says.

"I bet."

"She wanted me to have a love triangle with you and Madison so we could be MadLoVe."

"Need to pull over. Going to lose my breakfast now."

"You and me, both.

"Lilly would  never  want you to date Madison."

"It's not Madison she wanted me dating," Logan says under his breath.

_ Did I just hear that? Moving on... _

"Okay, so we have our complicated love story all worked out," Veronica says, "I still don't know why we can't just say we got together when we first met. It would make things so much simpler."

"Don't you ever watch movies, Veronica?"

"Not enough to compete with your extensive knowledge of chick flicks, Logan. Why?"

"Why? Because first love is idealistic and always ends up disappointing you. It can't live up to expectations. But second love? It's rooted in reality. It's second love that lasts forever."


	9. Day Two - Getting Into Character

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Interstate I-10**  
**New Mexico to Texas**

 

Logan switches places with Veronica not long after they cross into New Mexico. Her eyes begin to droop, and not fifteen minutes later, she’s asleep.

As he drives, his eyes drift over to her every few minutes. She really should have changed at the motel. Those socks are killing him. His captivation with knee socks began the day he'd met Veronica so many years ago, and here she is torturing him again.

He supposes that after his year-long torture of her, turnabout is fair play. In fact, he welcomes her to use any weapon at her disposal. He sure hasn't held back.

He 'd found a decent rock/alternative station on the radio and has been listening to it for the past half hour, tapping a pen on the steering wheel in time with the music. When Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" ends, the next song starts up:  _**Looking back at me I see that I never really got it right...** _

_Oh hell. Not the Veronica song!_

The song, "Cold" by Crossfade has been playing on the radio for the past several months and never fails to make him think about her. He might have changed the channel had the song contained a decent guitar intro, but it’s one of those songs that launches right into the lyrics without any preamble, and once it starts, he usually lets it play through. He isn’t sure if he tolerates it or hates it. It typically depends on his mood of the moment.

Logan peeks over at Veronica and is relieved to see that she’s still sleeping. He can just imagine her giving him meaningful glances while the singer wails about what an ass he's been, but it isn't the chorus that makes it the Veronica song:

What I really meant to say,  
is I'm sorry for the way I am.  
Never meant to be so cold.

Logan  _had_ meant every single cold-blooded thing he had done to Veronica. He can’t even say he’s sorry about it. He probably should be. If he were a good person, he would be, but Logan is selfish and has enjoyed himself too much. Still is enjoying himself.

No, it’s another set of lyrics that made it the Veronica song:

You are the antidote that gets me by  
Something strong  
Like a drug that gets me high

If Logan is anything, it’s self-aware. He doesn’t always act on his feelings, he certainly doesn’t always appreciate or approve of his feelings, but he doesn’t lie to himself either – unlike two other people in the truck that he won’t name.

Logan Echolls is addicted to Veronica Mars, and he knows it.

He'd begun thinking of Veronica as the antidote to the apathy and malaise he's been feeling since Lilly's death. He'd first tried to combat it with sensation seeking – parties, drugs, fighting, sex – but increasingly, he feels like a bored observer to his own life. Only when Veronica is around does he feel like an active participant. There might not be any warm and fuzzies, but it’s always interesting when they’re together.

It isn’t something that he’d gone looking for. At the beginning, he'd only wanted to knock Veronica off the very pedestal he had erected in her honor. Somewhere along the way, he'd realized that the only time he really felt true excitement anymore - since Lilly's death - was when he was sparring with Veronica. Of course there are older and stronger feelings that have never truly gone away. He acknowledges them, but he doesn’t dwell.

He'd put his theory to the test by antagonizing others - 09ers and 02ers alike - but couldn't find anybody else who compares. He’d been hopeful when Weevil came into his orbit. Here was somebody who could almost match Logan in wits - a worthy opponent. Sadly, he had only proved Logan's theory. Although he got a thrill out of sparring with Weevil, it didn't come close the rush he gets with Veronica. He can’t get enough of her.

It’s not a stalkerish sort of addiction - unless you count those late-night drives past the Camelot just to see if she was parked outside. Logan's addiction goes deeper. He needs her. Anticipating his next 'fix' keeps him going to school every day, keeps him from walking into the ocean permanently.

He would poke at her and prod at her.  
He'd torment and taunt and torture.  
He'd persecute and pester.  
He'd search intently for flickers of annoyance, and fan the flames.  
And when he had her worked up - when she was blazing with fury...  
He'd inhale.

That was his drug.

In fact, if he had to choose between having sex four times with any other girl, or one good argument with Veronica, he would pick the latter. He actually had picked Veronica. His short relationship with Carrie Bishop ended when she’d forced him to choose between her and his vendetta.

It’s a shame, really. He actually likes Carrie. Once you get past the gossip, she’s surprisingly perceptive and has her own unusual sense of justice. He likes her, but she’s not Veronica.

He supposes it’s unhealthy to rely on another person this way, but Logan revels in unhealthy behavior. He'd purposely redirected his relationship with her from something beautiful into something ugly on a whim. But it’s still evolving. In the past two days, he's been discovering a bit of beauty within the ugliness.

Logan glances over at the girl currently dominating his thoughts. She has one of the travel pillows from Target pressed up to the window, and she sleeps leaning against it. He remembers how he used to tease Lilly for drooling while she slept in the passenger seat, and feels guilty for comparing the two girls. Veronica isn’t drooling. She looks pretty and serene.

Yesterday, he'd panicked when he'd thought that he would have to leave her behind to take Duncan on the run, even momentarily fantasizing about kidnapping her. He'd been trying to come up with a plausible excuse for why she absolutely needed to accompany them, when Weevil, of all people, had provided the save.

It had felt like Christmas.

Now, it just feels like torture.

This was supposed to be about getting my rush from Veronica's hostility.  
Not sex.  
Fucking knee socks!

"I see you're amusing yourself." Veronica says, an hour or so later.

Logan looks over at her in embarrassment. He'd just been caught suctioning a drinking straw to the tip of his tongue like a five year old and bouncing it like a conductor's wand to the beat of the radio.

"I am. You should try it." He says, pulling the straw off of his tongue and holding it out to her.

"Yeah...I don't think I could handle that much excitement in one day. You hold on to it."

"Your loss." Logan pokes her in the side with the straw.

"So...Isn't Mr. Casablancas a gun freak?" Veronica asks after a minute of silence.

Logan glances in her direction. "Yeah, I know he takes Dick to the firing range."

The harsh New Mexican sunlight highlights dark circles under her eyes. She looks tired.

"Then why would you sleep with his wife?"

"Um...Because she's a Laker Girl and super-hot. Why? Jealous?"

"No, just thinking about your death wish."

"My death wish? Really, Veronica?"

"You were so annoyed at me for rescuing you. Did you really want them to kill you?"

"No. I wanted you and Duncan to get away safely."

"Then how would you have gotten away?"

"Not a clue. Wasn't really thinking about it."

"Why not?"

"Why do you care? Can't a jackass put other people in front of himself now and then?"

"How many married women have you slept with?" Veronica changes tactics.

"I don't know, three? Four?" Logan answers.

"You're not worried about angry husbands coming after you?"

"In New Mexico?"

"Come on, Logan." Veronica sighed. "I'm serious. Married women, binge drinking, drunk driving, fights with biker gangs."

"Typical week in the life of Logan," he says, faking a yawn. "Nothing special."

"Any one of those things could get you killed, Logan."

"Would you miss me?"

"I think the first time I had to shower Duncan or change his diaper, I would miss you desperately."

Logan smirks at her. "Would. You. Miss. Me?"

Veronica opens her mouth as if to deny it, but instead shrugs noncommittally.

"That day at the beach with Weevil… I knew you'd never back down."

"It bothered you."

"What?"

"Seeing him hit me."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"I'm not. You reacted more strongly to that than you did to me smashing your lights."

"Well yeah, you would have let him kill you rather than apologize to me."

"Probably."

"So what's it going to be? Alcohol poisoning? Drunk driving car accident? Shooting by jealous husband? Gang beating?"

"FitzPatrick?" Logan adds to the list, and Veronica glares. "Actually, I was thinking you and I could go out together, Thelma and Louise style. Grand Canyon's only a couple hours away."

"I'm sorry, that's not on my agenda today, Louise."

"Louise? You have it all wrong. I'm the hot one. You're the older one. I'm obviously Thelma."

"Yeah, I'm practically ready for retirement," Veronica says.

"Hungry?" Logan asks.

"Do you even have to ask?"

Logan smirks. "I'll start looking for an exit with a diner."

"I'm trying to understand you - why you're so angry all the time," Veronica asks, returning to their previous subject.

"Maybe because my girlfriend was murdered?"

"No. Even before that. You've been acting out since not long after I met you."

"What makes you think I'm acting out? Maybe that's just who I really am?"

"I know who you really are, Logan."

Logan raises an eyebrow, but remains silent.

Veronica sighs. "Or maybe I never truly knew you."

_Nobody has ever truly known me, but out of everyone, you have come the closest._

"Maybe you did."

Minutes pass before Logan speaks again. "It's not like I'm the only one with a death wish, Veronica."

"Duncan?"

"No, you. The snooping around. The nights outside of the Camelot."

"What do you know about the Camelot?"

"Two-thirty A.M. Monday, Thursday and Saturday last week."

"Were you there with somebody's wife?"

"No, drove past. Saw your car."

"Right...You just  _happened_  to drive past the Camelot three times last week?"

"Yes. I was curious about what you were up to."

"So...stalking."

"You call it stalking, I call it advanced curiosity."

"I was working on a cheating spouse case."

"Yeah, the giant camera was a giveaway. So, what's the most interesting thing you've seen at the Camelot."

"Um...Judge Wilcox playing rodeo with his secretary."

"She was riding him? What's so interesting about that?"

"No...He was riding her. Literally. On her back. Holding up his hat and slapping her ass."

Logan howls with laughter. "I'll never be able to look him in the face again when he comes to one of the Kane's parties."

"I've actually had to face him and pretend that I didn't know." Veronica laughs.

"But seriously," Logan says. "Who was Jake Kane meeting at the Camelot."

Veronica's laughter vanishes. "Nobody."

"Just tell me, Veronica. He's obviously having an affair. It's not like I actually like Celeste. I would never tell her who. Plus, we'll probably never go back, so what does it matter if I know."

"She never came to the door. I never saw her."

"But you know who it is." Logan prods.

Veronica refuses to answer, instead changing the subject. "So why does my surveillance equate to me having a death wish?"

"Well, the fact is, I might sleep with married women, but I have never actually broken up a marriage. Bet you can't say the same."

"It's not the same thing."

"Why not? It's more likely for an angry spouse to come after you, than me."

"It's very rare for somebody to come after a P.I."

"Except for the Fitzpatricks."

"Ahh...Now we come to the heart of the matter." Veronica says, bitterly. "Just say it. Me spying on Fitzpatrick brought this all down on us, and you're pissed."

"I'm not pissed."

"You should be. I've ruined your life!"

"You haven't ruined my life, Veronica."

"Yes I have! You could be at school right now."

"Yay school!" Logan says lifting a fist skyward in a cheer.

"You know what I mean. Where your minions fawn over you and you could have your pick of the bimbos."

"Duncan can be my minion. And you can be my bimbo." Logan waggles his eyebrows.

"Not in this lifetime. But won't you miss being king of the school?"

"I'm where I want to be, Veronica."

"Right...Driving through New Mexico with the person you hate the most."

"Sorry, hate to break your heart, but you're not the person I hate most."

"Damn. I've worked so hard to hold that title."

"You could never knock my father out of that position."

"Oh."

"Everything that those  _minions_ and  _bimbos_  at school want from me is because of who my father is, not who I am. But out here? I'm not Aaron Echolls' son. And he has no idea where to find me."

At Veronica's skeptical expression, Logan looks her in the eyes. "I'm exactly where I want to be."

Veronica offers a small smile.

"At Pete's Café." Logan clarifies, pulling in and parking behind the diner. "And trust me, if we're going for nondescript, you probably don't want to wear that outfit."

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Pete's Café**  
**Las Cruces, New Mexico**

 

Behind Pete's Cafe, a squat, yellowish brick building with large glass windows at the front and sides, Veronica closes the rear of the truck and returns to the passenger side. Using the door as a shield, she pulls a pair of black shorts on under her skirt, zipping and buttoning them before pulling off the skirt. She climbs back in the truck and pulls down the visor mirror to look at while she adjusts her wavy, shoulder length light-brown wig.

"I like that one." Logan says, indicating the wig. "Why don't you stick with that one and the black one you wore this morning, and toss that curly one from yesterday into the dumpster? It would make a great nest for some lucky rat."

Veronica ignores him, searching the mirror for any stray blond hairs visible at her hairline. She then loosens the tie and pulls it over her head.

"OK, Duncan. We're going inside to eat." Logan says, leaning over to look at Duncan in the back seat. "I hate having to leave you alone out here, so why don't you go ahead and wake up and come with us?." He pauses for a moment to examine Duncan for any signs of life, and then sighs. "Fine, we'll get you another yummy nutrition shake when we come back out."

Logan turns back forward, slipping on his black baseball cap, and tucking a pair of glasses into his front shirt pocket.

"Hey wait," he says as Veronica reaches for her socks.

She glances up at him.

His eyes are large and innocent. "Can you take those off really slowly and sensually?"

"Ass!" she says, shoving his shoulder and trying not to grin.

_That was such an Old Logan thing to say._

Veronica can’t resist calling his bluff. She leans over to unbuckle her heeled Mary Janes, and then very slowly runs the fingertips of both hands up her leg until she comes to the top of the sock. Slipping the tips of her fingers inside the elastic band, she glances up at Logan suggestively. His eyebrows are raised in surprise and his jaw is hanging slack. Veronica smirks and shoves the sock down her leg and off her foot all in one motion.

"Tease," Logan grumbles, and Veronica almost giggles. Logan opens his car door and slips out of the truck.

An unfamiliar feeling of power comes over Veronica.

_Holy crap! Did Logan Echolls just look at me like that? He could have any girl he wanted, and  I  got that kind of reaction out of him?_

Veronica quickly removes her second sock and slips into a pair of black flats. As she reaches for her door handle, it opens, and Logan is standing there. Veronica raises an eyebrow curious as to what he’s up to, but he simply reaches for her right hand and helps her out of the truck. After closing the door, he interlaces his fingers with hers.

Veronica digs in her heels as he attempts to pull her towards the diner. "What are you trying to pull, Logan?" She asks, nodding at their clasped hands.

"What? I'm getting into character."

Veronica looks him over. His eyes, usually so intense when he’s looking at her, are soft and gentle, with a touch of adoration in them.

"How do you turn that on so easily?" She asks, suddenly annoyed at him.

"Turn what on?"

"Schmoopy Logan." She gestures to his face with her free hand.

"Schmoopy Logan?" he asks, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. That's what Lilly and I used to call it when you got that look on your face."

"Ahh…" The left corner of his mouth turns up. "Well you are supposed to be my fiancée. I'm getting into character."

"But it's so easy for you. You just slip it on like a shirt."

Veronica is becoming irrationally annoyed.

"Maybe I'm a decent actor?"

"You say that Lilly was the only girl who's ever mattered, but I've seen you look that way at Caitlin, and Carrie, and other girls. Why is it so easy for you to fake it?"

"Why do you care? You don't even like Carrie or Caitlin or any of those girls."

_Maybe because of those times when you looked at me that way?_

"Just forget it. Let's go eat."

"Oh no you don't," Logan says. "Not until you get in character."

Veronica rolls her eyes. "I'm letting you hold my hand, aren't I?"

"Yeah," Logan says, "But you're looking at me like I busted your headlights or something. You have to actually look like you like me."

Veronica scowls at him, pulling her hand free, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against her car door.

"Now you're looking at me like I stole all your candy, ran over your grandma, and impregnated your dog. You can do better.

Veronica snickers. "If you impregnate my dog, I'll look at you like you're God. You realize he's a male, right?"

Logan grins and takes a step forward. "Come on. Show me Schmoopy Veronica."

"Veronica doesn't do schmoopy," she says.

"Oh yes you do. You used to do it with Duncan at school. Look at me like I'm Duncan."

Veronica tries to imagine Duncan's face on Logan's body. "Not working for me." She shrugs.

Logan sighs. "I don't get what the problem is. You're such a good actress when you're pretending you don't feel anything at all. Why is it so hard for you to pretend that you do?"

_Because I have a year's experience of slipping on the mask every time you or one of your minions come near me._

"Look at me like you did before Lilly died," Logan says, stepping closer. His eyes look up as if searching for a memory.

"Look at me like you did in the limo on Homecoming when I said you were hot."

"You want me to punch you in the arm too?"

Logan grins. "Okay, maybe not that." He thinks for a second. "Look at me like you did that time we napped in my bed," he says, stepping even closer. Too close.

Veronica lets out a small gasp, shocked that Logan would go there. In her mind, she can see herself lying on Logan's bed, facing him. Him looking at her like he wanted to kiss her. Her feeling butterflies in her tummy. She remembers how he had leaned closer, and how her eyes had closed involuntarily anticipating a kiss that would never come.

Veronica's eyes slowly rise to meet Logan's. When they meet and lock, her heart skips a beat. The intensity in his eyes matches the way he'd looked at her that day as well. More butterflies take flight in Veronica's belly before Logan looks away. For a moment, he looks shaken, and then he regains his composure along with his cocky grin.

"Yeah, that's the look I was thinking of, but maybe that's not a good idea after all. You probably want to save that look for the bedroom."

At Veronica's glare, he puts his hands up. "Hey, I didn't say the bedroom with me. Unless you want to do some kinky undercover operation. I'm game."

Veronica stares him down. "Are you done being a comedian? Can we go eat now?"

"Hold your horses," he says. "Hey, look at me like you did that day when we sat by the Kane's pool with our feet in the water."

Veronica feels as if she’s been punched. She looks hard at her shoes concentrating all of her energy on preventing her eyes from welling up with tears. She's become a pro at it by now. She's never let Logan see her cry before, she’s not going to start now.

_How in the hell could you go there, Logan? Imagine if you were actually *trying* to hurt me right now._

Logan notices she’s avoiding looking at him, and gently lifts her chin. He looks surprised to see the hurt in her eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry," he says quietly, touching her on the upper arm. "I didn't know it would…bother you. It's just that…that moment is like this…snapshot I guess...stored permanently in my memory. The way you looked at me…for a moment…before you knew how truly fucked up I was…am."

"Yeah, well I figured that out 10 minutes later when you jumped up and took off like the house was on fire." Veronica hopes he can’t hear bitterness in her voice.

"When Duncan showed up."

"Right…when Duncan showed up. And then…" She trails off, looking down at her shoes again, and biting her lip.

"Yeah…And then." Logan says, staring off at the horizon.

They stand quietly for a moment, caught up in the past. Logan thinking of what had come next. Veronica avoiding that thought and thinking of other occasions where she's looked at him that way.

Then Logan ducks down to look at her. "Hey I'm hungry. Let's work on getting you into character next time."

_Oh no! Not Basset Hound Logan!_

Logan has this way of ducking his head forward, then looking up so that his forehead wrinkles, and his brown eyes look like a puppy. Veronica has always been utterly and completely powerless to resist it.

"Hey!" Logan says, a grin creeping across his face. "There she is."

"Who?"

"Schmoopy Veronica! Whatever you're thinking about right now, keep thinking it." He pulls his glasses from his pocket and pushes them onto his face. His left hand slides down her arm to entwine with the fingers from her right hand, and he tugs her towards the diner.

As they walk, Veronica's consciousness moves to the place where her forearm crosses Logan's - her bare skin pressing against the soft cotton sleeve of his plaid shirt. It then travels to her fingers - each one being embraced by two of Logan's. Embracing his in return. She marvels for a moment on how perfectly hands were designed for holding. Her attention finally settles into the place where his palm presses into hers, his skin dry and smooth as a baby's, not clammy, as Duncan's had been.

She vaguely notices that they’re setting a pace much slower than usual. Logan must be lost in thought, but to the world, they must appear like two lovers in no hurry at all to break the physical contact.

_This is so wrong!_

_So wrong it's right?_

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Down the Rabbit Hole**

 

_It's almost dark out when he finds Logan on the beach, one bottle of Jack Daniels propped into the sand beside him, another, empty at his feet._

_"Hey. I've looked everywhere for you."_

_"Hey." Logan's eyes are scarlet. "Sorry, just needed a night off. Do you need me?"_

_"You know, you don't have to worry about me all the time. Let me worry about you for once. You okay?" Duncan asks, kneeling and putting a hand on Logan's back. Logan flinches, as if in pain, but allows Duncan to move the hand to his shoulder._

_"It will never be okay." Logan says. Tears begin to fall. Duncan shifts so that he's sitting on his butt, and pulls Logan closer against his shoulder. Logan's tears are hot on his neck, and he strokes the top of Logan's head. Lilly used to comfort Duncan this way when he was little._

_"I could have saved her Duncan." Logan says._

_"No you couldn't."_

_"I could have. But I allowed myself to become…distracted."_

_"You couldn't have known when you kissed Yolanda..."_

_"No, not…" Logan says and then sighs pulling away and changing the subject. "I just want to kill somebody, you know?"_

_"Yeah." Duncan says. "Me too. Who should we kill?"_

_A larger wave rolls in, bringing a man's body with it. The abdomen has been slashed open. Duncan looks away, and Logan doesn't even notice it._

_"Veronica." Logan answers._

_"We can't kill Veronica!" Duncan says, aghast._

_"We already have, Duncan. Over the past year. Ding Dong. Ronnie's all gone."_

_"Past year? A couple weeks ago, we were at Homecoming, and she was fine."_

_"Oh...Is that when we are?" Logan asks._

_Duncan looks at him in confusion, but Logan doesn't elaborate._

_A shadow passes over them from behind and Duncan looks up._

_"Veronica."_

_He's pretty sure that she isn't supposed to be here. She wasn't even around that night he'd found Logan on the beach with his back all torn up. From a surfing accident, he had said._

_"Hi." She says, a small sad smile on her face, moonlight gleaming off her long blond hair._

_"Hi."_

_"Are you OK, Duncan?" she asks._

_"I'm okay, but Logan needs you."_

_Logan's eyes are squeezed closed. "I can't look at you Veronica," he says._

_"Then don't," she says dropping to her knees behind Logan. She presses her body up against him and wraps her arms around him. Both hands come to rest on his heart._

_"My back…" Logan says. "Why doesn't it hurt anymore?" He voice breaks and he begins crying again, eyes closed, head hung in shame._

_Veronica's head drops to Logan's left shoulder and she whispers in his ear. "Because I'm here to heal you."_

_"Why?" Logan asks. "I can't even look at you."_

_"Shhh...I've got you now, Logan," she whispers._

_Logan's sobs intensify. "I could have saved her, Veronica."_

_"You could have gotten yourself killed in the process," she answers. "Which is completely unacceptable."_

_Logan's hands cover Veronica's on his heart as if clutching a lifeline, and he cries harder._

_"Veronica?" Logan whispers several minutes later. "I don't want to need you."_

_"Shhh. We all need each other."_

_Duncan watches, feeling like the odd man out, but knowing that Logan needs Veronica in order to heal. He reaches out and brushes away Logan's tears. He wants to wrap his arms around both of them. Only a month ago, that would have been okay, but ever since his mom said...he doesn't even want to think about that._

_More bodies have washed up on shore now, and Duncan studies his hands. He can hear Veronica crying now. This feels wrong too. Veronica doesn't cry. Logan untangles one of his hands from hers to brush away her tears with his thumb. He brings the hand to his mouth and sticks out his tongue to taste the tear. Duncan wants to taste her tears, but that is not allowed._

_Logan turns his face to Veronica, who lifts her head from his shoulder to look into his eyes. He leans in and kisses a tear falling down her right cheek and Veronica's breath hitches. Logan finds a tear on her left cheek and kisses that away as well._

_Duncan watches Logan's hand slide up into Veronica's hair. He tugs, coming away with a thick clump of long hair clutched in his hand, which he promptly hands over to Duncan on his right, never looking away from Veronica. She appears to have felt nothing. Her eyes are on Logan, her breathing shallow. Logan tugs two more large handfuls of hair, passing them on to Duncan. Duncan stares uncomprehendingly at the beautiful blond locks in his hands. What is he supposed to do with this?_

_When he looks back, Logan's hand is touching Veronica's cheek. He's guiding her mouth to his. Duncan knows he should say something. Claim ownership. But instead, he watches in fascination as Logan's lips meet Veronica's in a gentle kiss. He kisses her a second time, and a third before pulling back._

_"I do need you." He whispers._

_"I know." Veronica answers._

_The next time their mouths meet, it's anything but gentle. Duncan watches their heads tilt, align. Watches their mouths sliding open. His best friend and his ex-girlfriend look beautiful together, Veronica kneeling, pressed up against Logan's back, Logan's head twisted to meet her mouth. Duncan is so jealous, and yet so turned on. He is becoming ridiculously hard, and he's not sure if he would rather trade places with Logan or Veronica._

_Whoa! Where did that come from? I would never…_

_The sound of Veronica's small moan breaks Duncan out of his reverie, and he shivers in guilt. He can never ever ever think that way again. One is his best friend, and the other his sis- Ex-girlfriend. That's all she is._

_He needs to put a stop to this. They should both know better. He reaches to pull Logan away from her, but he feels a tug on his wrist. Looking down, he sees that Veronica's beautiful golden hair has braided itself around his wrists into a pair of handcuffs. He tugs, but the cuffs are stronger than steel and softer than silk._

_Fuck._

_"Logan. What the fuck?" Duncan yells._

_"Not the same girl." Logan says before returning to Veronica's mouth._

_Duncan gets a good look at Veronica, and realizes that in addition to the short hair, she is wearing black leather boots and a short denim miniskirt. She wasn't wearing that before._

_"Logan?" Duncan is confused now._

_Logan pulls back from not!Veronica and points down the beach. "Your girl went that way." he manages to say before Veronica pulls him back to her mouth._

_Duncan looks up. The shore is littered with bodies now. Every wave seems to bring in a new one. All the same man. All with the same knife wounds._

_Duncan sees a flash of white. He rises to follow. He knows, even before closing the distance, that it's Veronica. Beautiful long hair, white dress, choker. A rivulet of blood runs down her leg. "I did that" Duncan thinks, but then forces it out of his mind. He can't think about that. He can't think of that, or or of these stupid dead bodies that keep washing up on the shore. He needs to reach Veronica and make sure that she is safe._

_He's almost to her when he notices movement out of the corner of his eyes. Down at the shore, the bodies are rising. They don't shamble like zombies, but instead stride purposefully, all towards the same target. Veronica. Duncan breaks into a run, but the bodies reach her first. They surround her. He sees the first one reach for her throat. The other ones begin ripping at her clothing. Her panties come flying at him and land at his feet._

_Duncan looks behind him and finds that Logan and not!Veronica are gone. When he turns back, Logan is at his side picking up a black leather boot that has landed at his feet. Veronica has become notVeronica._

_"What do we do, Logan?" Duncan asks._

_"Look down at your hand, man."_

_Duncan looks down. The silky golden handcuff dangles from his left wrist._

_In his right hand, Duncan clutches a knife._

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Sweet Dreams Motel**  
**Somewhere in Western Texas**

Logan and Veronica are practically at each other's throats by the time they pull into the Sweet Dreams Motel somewhere in Texas.

He’d allowed himself to dose off for a few hours and when he woke, he could tell something was off. Fifteen minutes later, he realized that they were no longer on I-10. It had taken almost two hours to backtrack back to I-10, Logan complaining the entire time, and Veronica firing right back at him.

Once back on track, he finds that they’re driving through a rural portion of western Texas. The night is blacker here and the stars are brighter. No signs announce which cities they’re traveling through. Although they pass many freeway exits, none show any signs of civilization.

Two and a half hours later, they still haven't seen any signs of a motel, so when the Sweet Dreams Motel pops up like a mirage, Veronica exits the freeway.

"What do you think?" she asks, pulling to a stop in front of the motel.

"I don't know. After this morning, I hate the idea of picking a motel so close to the freeway."

"Me too, but we haven't seen anything in hours. What if we don't find another motel in the next couple hours?"

"That's a possibility. Well thanks to your smart thinking, we parked far away from the motel room, and Danny Boyd never saw the Explorer. I suppose we can risk it."

Logan unloads all of their bags from the trunk and hauls them into the room. After he comes back for Duncan, Veronica pulls away to park the Explorer on the far side of the motel.

He waits for Veronica to return to the room – Hey, she’d disappeared for an hour the previous night – and then heads into the bathroom with the box of temporary hair dye. Thirty-five minutes later, he returns in his boxers, and a t-shirt toweling off his hair, and Veronica heads into the bathroom to shower.

He changes Duncan, and then drops down on the bed.

He can’t get rid of the image of Veronica from earlier. When he'd forced her to look at him, after mentioning that day by the Kane's pool, her eyes had been full of pain. He thought they might have been glossy from unshed tears as well. He’d never known - she'd never shown him - that he'd hurt her. And all this time later, it still had the ability to hurt her. He’d thought that Veronica's mask was a relatively new thing that she had erected after Lilly's murder. Now he wonders if it’s been there all along. All the way back to the beginning. He sighs deeply. He's thought about that day a lot over the years, sometimes wishing he could do it all over again and change everything. Usually thinking that he wouldn't change a thing. But always thinking of it in relation to his relationship with Lilly – were they on or off? Was she being a sweetheart or a bitch? He’s never considered it from Veronica's point of view before.

He’d wanted so badly to hurt her for the past year, but even if he'd known of this ammunition, he would never have used it against her.

Logan turns on the T.V. The news should be on in around fifteen minutes, and something is bothering him. He had checked the news first thing in the morning, and there'd been no stories about Ciaran Fitzpatrick. Weevil had said that the body wouldn't be discovered before 9:00 AM. So how had Danny Boyd been searching for them in Arizona at 8:00 AM?

"Logan?" Veronica calls, and he looks up. He'd been so preoccupied that he hadn't noticed the sound of the shower being turned off.

"Can you come here for a second?"

Logan sighs and moves to the vanity area near the door to the bathroom. Veronica stands in the doorway in a fluffy white robe digging through her bag.

Locating what she’s searching for, she hands her Nikon to Logan. "This is the most horrifying favor I've ever had to ask somebody to do for me," she says, "And the fact that it's you makes it even worse."

"Skip the speeches, just spit it out," Logan says, motioning her to hurry up.

"I need you to photograph my ...injuries. I need to be in my underwear."

"The hell I'm taking pictures of you in your underwear." Logan sets the camera down on the vanity and turns away.

"It's important, Logan."

"No, you'll try to use it against me later. You'll say that I tried to take advantage of you."

"Logan…" Veronica sighs, touching his shoulder. "If they ever catch us - the police I mean - and if they ever put us on trial, we need evidence that Ciaran Fitzpatrick caused injuries to me - that it wasn't consensual. Even with the video footage, they might try to claim I was into rough sex. We need proof of how much he hurt me."

Logan turns back, uncertainly, and Veronica reaches for the camera on the counter, handing it back to him.

"Fine," he says, anxiously running a hand through his hair. "Let's get this over with."

Veronica removes her robe, setting it delicately on the counter as if it were made of glass. She wears light pink underwear of some satiny type of fabric and a matching bra. Logan looks her over. There are dark bruises on her breasts, her inner thighs, her neck, and her upper arms. Her stomach is a large mass of bruises. There are angry red scratch marks on both of her upper thighs, and with her wet hair pulled back, it reveals scratches on the side of her face and her forehead. Logan's heart begins pounding, and he’s having trouble breathing. He’s beginning to feel homicidal again. If Ciaran were not already dead...

"You're black and blue all over. Like a punch line to some joke." He quips to break the tension.

Veronica rolls her eyes and motions for him to get started.

"Shouldn't you hold a ruler or something up to your bruises to show the scale?" Logan asks.

"Did you buy a ruler during Targetpalooza?"

"No," Logan says regretfully. "I remembered scissors, but didn't think to get a ruler. What about a coin?"

"Let's just get this over with?"

For a moment, Veronica shows vulnerability, her eyes appearing to be on the verge of tears. Then she takes a deep breath, and it’s as if all life drains out of her. Her eyes become dead, staring at a spot on the ceiling as Logan photographs her injuries. Goose bumps rise on his skin. He’d take all of her hate stares, all of her looks of disappointment, even the pain in her eyes from earlier, if only he could never have to see her eyes go dead again.

It’s ironic that after spending half the day having vaguely lustful thoughts about Veronica and her knee socks, here she is practically naked, and he's never felt less turned-on in his entire life.

She turns around and Logan photographs the scratches and bruises on her back from being thrown against the building and a long scratch on the back of her right thigh.

"I think I got it all," Logan says quietly. Veronica nods, slips her robe back on, and disappears into the bathroom without a word.

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Sweet Dreams Motel**  
**Somewhere in Western Texas**

 

Veronica dresses in sleep shorts and a tank and - mask firmly in place - leaves the bathroom.

Logan is laying on Duncan’s bed watching the news. He wears only his boxers and a tee shirt, but she doesn’t have the energy to complain.

She climbs in bed, taking a moment to copy the photos from her memory card to her laptop. The transfer is 87% complete, when the news catches her attention.

 

 

**CNOW - YOUR NEWS: NOW**

**ANCHOR:**   For our top story tonight, we take you to Neptune, California where Ann Marler is on the scene. Ann, what can you tell us about the discovery of a body at the Community Park this morning?"

[The news anchor is replaced on screen by an attractive reporter in her mid-thirties. Her auburn hair is longer than typical for the media and she stands next to Sheriff Don Lamb]

**MARLER:**  Thanks Connie. I'm here in Neptune, California. A coastal town known for its high concentration of wealth and power, where this morning, a gruesome discovery was made at the Neptune Community Park. At nine-fifteen AM, Ed Dawson, a maintenance supervisor for the Neptune Park Service stumbled across a body. The body was later identified as one Ciaran Fitzpatrick, alleged drug dealer, and member of the infamous Fitzpatrick crime family. When police reviewed video footage from a nearby surveillance camera, they found a story more shocking than originally expected. A story that leads back to the two most prominent families in town and the daughter of the former county sheriff. I have with me here the current sheriff, Don Lamb.

**MARLER:**  Hello, Sheriff Lamb.

**LAMB:**  Hello Ann.

**MARLER:**  Sheriff, I understand you have video footage of the incident .

**LAMB:**  That is correct.

**MARLER:**  I'd like to warn our viewers that the footage you are about to see includes graphic violence. It is strongly suggested that you send any young children out of the room.

"Sure, make sure to send away all of those kiddies still wandering around the house at eleven at night." Logan mutters.

 

[The screen splits, displaying Ann Marler and Don Lamb on the left side, a black and white still of the maintenance building on the right.]

**MARLER:**  Sheriff Lamb, explain to me what we're looking at.

**LAMB:**  That's the maintenance building at the community park. It houses the control panel for the floodlights, a ride-on mower and other lawn equipment."

**MARLER:**  And is this building visible from other locations in the park?

**LAMB:**  No, it's surrounded by an eight-foot high wooden fence.

[Ciaran Fitzpatrick enters the frame dragging Veronica roughly behind him]

"Hey, why don't you go hang out in the bathroom or something. Take a bubble bath. You shouldn't have to watch this." Logan says.

"Thank you for the sentiment, but I need to see this. I need to see myself the way that everybody else will be seeing me."

 

[The left side of the split-screen disappears and the right side expands to fill the entire frame. On screen, Ciaran shoves Veronica face first into the brick building]

**MARLER:**  Sheriff Lamb, what are we seeing here?

**LAMB:**  That's Ciaran Fitzpatrick. The girl is Veronica Mars. She's the daughter of my predecessor, Sheriff Keith Mars.

[The scene pauses, and is replaced by Ann Marler and Don Lamb.]

**MARLER:**  Are you acquainted with Veronica Mars?

**LAMB:**  Yes, I've known her since I began working at the sheriff's office. I believe she was around eight years old then. She's seventeen now. She always hung around the station when her dad was in office. We used to teach her the ropes during our down time. We always joked that she was born to be a cop. Unfortunately, sometimes she acts as if she already has the badge.

"Lying bastard. You never taught me the ropes. You always told me to go bother Sacks." Veronica grumbles.

Logan glances over and grins. "I have no problem picturing you as an eight year old Dirty Harry."

Veronica chuckles quietly.

_Only Logan could possibly make me laugh at a time like this._

Veronica's grin slips away when the Don Lamb/Ann Marler screen is replaced with the crime scene screen.

 

[Veronica attempts to reach into her bag and Ciaran knocks it out of her hand. He's yelling in her face and she's attempting to reason with him.]

**MARLER:**  Do you know what they're saying here?

**LAMB:**  No, unfortunately, the camera wasn't set up to capture audio.

[Veronica tries to push her way past Ciaran, but he throws her back against the building, producing a knife and holding it to her throat. Veronica squeezes her eyes shut. He yells something else at her and then starts grabbing at her breasts.]

Logan jumped up off the bed and stalks towards the TV.

"Leave it Logan. I need to see it."

Logan pulls his hand back. Lets it drop to his side, impotently.

 

[Ciaran reaches up under Veronica's skirt and begins yanking at her underwear, managing to rip them off in three tugs.]

Veronica locks her mask firmly in place.

Logan's fists begin clenching and unclenching at his sides.

 

[Ciaran screams something in Veronica's face, she pulls away, dry heaving. Ciaran becomes even more enraged, ripping open Veronica's blouse. A single drop of blood runs down her neck.]

Logan drops to the foot of his bed running both hands through his hair.

 

[Ciaran's hand moves to Veronica's breast again, obviously trying to cause pain. Veronica cries. Both of Ciaran's hands move to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. Veronica knees him between the legs and tries to run to her bag. The screen freezes, and is then replaced by the shot of Ann Marler and Don Lamb.]

**MARLER:**  Sheriff Lamb, why do you think Veronica chose to run for her bag instead of the exit?

**LAMB:**  Veronica is known in these parts for carrying a taser.

**MARLER:**  Isn't she a little young to be in possession of a taser?

**LAMB:**  After leaving office, Sheriff Mars opened Mars Investigations, a private investigations agency. It's well known around here that Veronica helps her father out on some of his cases. I'd imagine she carries the taser for protection.

"Thanks Lambykins. So much for the element of surprise, now that the entire country knows I'm carrying a taser, you ass." Veronica says.

 

[The screen is replaced with the community park footage. Ciaran drops the knife, yanks Veronica back by the hair and begins punching her in the stomach.]

Logan stands abruptly and begins pacing, the tension in his body reminiscent of a caged tiger.

Veronica breathes slowly, reminding herself that it it’s just a body on TV. She herself is sitting here in Texas, bruised, but safe. She calms.

 

[Ciaran screams at Veronica and then presses her windpipe with his hand. Veronica's hands come up to claw at him. He shoves her skirt up to her hips. Her lower body is pixilated on screen, as is Ciaran's penis, which he is shoving at her.]

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**  What are we seeing here?

**LAMB VOICEOVER:**  The deceased it attempting to rape Veronica. She has her legs crossed.

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**  So he was not able to achieve penetration?

**LAMB VOICEOVER:**  No, he was not able to.

[Logan enters the frame. The footage pauses, and returns to a split screen.]

**MARLER:**  We have a young man in the lower corner of the screen. Can you identify him?

**LAMB:**   Yes, that's Logan Echolls.

Logan stops pacing the motel room to see what Lamb has to say.

 

**MARLER:**  To clarify, Logan Echolls, the only son of Oscar winner Aaron Echolls?

**LAMB:**  The very one.

**MARLER:**  Are you personally acquainted with Logan Echolls?

**LAMB:** (smirking):  I've had the pleasure. He's a bit of a hothead, and has been in and out of the station since he was around thirteen. Typically for minor vandalism, fighting, underage drinking. Interestingly, the last time we had him in was for possession of marijuana paraphernalia, which he insisted up and down had been planted in his locker. [Lamb pauses for dramatic effect] By Veronica Mars.

[Ann looks very intrigued]

_I know that look on her face. That's the look I see in the mirror all the time. She just figured out that there's a bigger story to get to the bottom of. The story of how a boy rescues and runs away with the girl who framed him and got him arrested._

 

[The split screen disappears and the park footage rolls again. Logan says something and Ciaran turns around. Veronica falls to the ground. Logan moves toward Veronica and Duncan enters the frame. The footage pauses and turns back into a split screen.]

**MARLER:**  Another young man has entered the screen.

**LAMB:**  That is Duncan Kane.

**MARLER:**  Son of billionaire software tycoon, Jake Kane?

**LAMB:**  Yes.

**MARLER:**  Are you acquainted with Duncan Kane?

**LAMB:**  Yes, but not in the same way as Logan Echolls. Duncan spent some time at the station during the investigation into his sister's murder. He's a good kid. Straight A's. Plays sports.

**MARLER:**  Remind our viewers who Duncan's sister was.

**LAMB:**  Duncan's sister was Lilly Kane. She was murdered nearly one year ago. October 3rd, 2003. Her murderer, Abel Koontz is currently on death row awaiting execution.

**MARLER:**  I remember the case. It was on the cover of People Magazine.

**LAMB:**  That is correct.

**MARLER:**  And what is Duncan Kane's relationship with Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars?

**LAMB:**  Duncan and Logan have been best friends since childhood. Duncan dated Veronica for about a year before his sister's death.

Veronica notices that once again, Ann Marler gets "the look" and she knows this story will not be dying down anytime soon.

 

[The park footage takes over the entire screen and begins rolling again. Duncan dives at Ciaran Fitzpatrick, knocks him to the ground and begins strangling him. Logan struggles to pull Duncan off the man. He finally succeeds and Duncan sits motionless, while Ciaran reaches up to shield his throat.]

Veronica shivers at the sight of Duncan completely losing it.

 

[Logan runs to Veronica's side, first fixing her skirt. The pixilation disappears. Logan slides a hand under Veronica's neck and lifts her up, cradling her head against his chest. He's talking to her, trying to wake her when Duncan moves again. He picks up the knife and leans over Fitzpatrick. His hand rises and descends. Pixilation appears to cover the gruesome action.]

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**  What's happening here?

**LAMB VOICEOVER:**  Duncan has picked up the knife and is stabbing the deceased.

[Logan looks up from Veronica and sees what Duncan is doing. He shouts something, and then stares in shock.]

**LAMB VOICEOVER:**  Duncan stabbed the deceased eleven times.

[Duncan stops stabbing and scrambles backwards to the fence. His fingers go slack, releasing the knife, and he begins rocking.]

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**  What is Duncan doing here?

**LAMB VOICEOVER:**  Rocking. He appears to be in shock.

[Logan remains frozen for a moment and then gently lowers Veronica back to the ground. He stands and walks to the body, looking down and then covers his mouth as he begins gagging. He begins pacing. The footage clearly shows the word he's repeating over and over again – "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"]

Veronica can see that Logan is on the verge of pacing the motel room again, in time with his TV counterpart. "Sit," She demands, patting the bed next to her. Logan sighs, runs his hand through his hair, and drops down heavily next to her.

 

[Logan stares at the unconscious Veronica and the catatonic Duncan. Making a decision, he goes to Veronica, kneels next to her and begins shaking her shoulder. After a moment, Veronica's eyes open and she moves to fix her skirt and then to hold her blouse together. They speak for a moment. Veronica shakes her head, and then Logan pulls her into a sitting position. Veronica sees the body and covers her mouth, gagging. Logan shifts to move between Veronica and the body. Veronica's eyes close, and she leans her head back on the brick building.]

In her peripheral, Veronica can see Logan examining her face. She offers him a reassuring smile. She’s not going to flip out now.

 

[Logan rises and moves to Duncan's side. He speaks to him, and then pulls him to a standing position. Duncan appears to offer no resistance. Logan begins guiding Duncan towards the gate. Veronica speaks and points. Logan turns back and snags the FitzBackpack before exiting the frame. Veronica closes her eyes and leans her head back on the brick building again.]

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**  What just happened there?

**LAMB VOICEOVER:**  Veronica told Logan to take the deceased's backpack.

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**  Do we have any idea what was in the backpack?

**LAMB VOICEOVERr:**  Drugs and money, I would guess.

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**  Is Veronica Mars a drug addict?

**LAMB VOICEOVER (chuckling):**  No. I can't imagine Veronica doing drugs. She was investigating the deceased for dealing drugs. We found a memory card at Mars Investigations full of photos of the deceased dealing. I imagine she either wanted to see what was in that bag. That or she wanted it to look like a drug killing.

_I really do need to look inside that backpack soon._

 

**MARLER VOICEOVER:**   What about Kane or Echolls.

**LAMB VOICEOVER:**   I would be surprised if Kane was a drug user. Logan may use drugs recreationally, but when he was arrested for the marijuana paraphernalia, his drug test came back clean.

[Logan reenters the frame and crouches next to Veronica. He speaks to Veronica and then pulls her to her feet. Veronica doubles over in pain.]

"Hey, I'm sorry about that," Logan says. "I didn't realize at the time that he'd punched you in the stomach."

"It's alright," Veronica says. "You were only trying to help."

 

[Veronica attempts to straighten again, and gasps in pain. Logan runs a hand through his hair and then lifts Veronica in his arms. Veronica's hands fly up to circle his neck. They speak for a moment and then Veronica buries her face in his neck.]

"There you go sniffing me again." Logan teases gently.

"Hey, even jackasses can smell good sometimes."

 

[Logan carries Veronica out of the frame.]

Next to her, Logan's laugh is unexpected and a bit unhinged.

"What?" Veronica asks.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Aaron Echolls strikes again."

"I'm not following."

"They gave me the  _'Action Hero edit'_. As I carried you out of there, they slow-mo'd the footage and gave it a soft blur."

"Oh," Veronica says. She'd been there, and had been terrified, but onscreen it had come off looking romantic.

"All they needed to do was to splice in a background of fire and explosions and we would have looked like my father and Michelle Pfeiffer in Hair Trigger."

"You think Lamb did that?"

"No, that was editing room at the broadcast center. Just a simple adjustment like that turns it into a bigger story."

"The relationships between the three of us?"

Logan nods. "Are you ready to become a fucking soap opera?"

"I go to Neptune High. What do you think the past year has been?"

"Touché."

 

[Ann Marler and Don Lamb now have the full screen]

**MARLER:**  Have you had any contact with Veronica, Logan or Duncan?

**LAMB:**   No. Sometime yesterday evening, all three fled town.

**MARLER:**   Duncan Kane is the only one who committed a crime. Do you have a theory as to why Logan and Veronica fled?

**LAMB:**   The people I've interviewed tell me that Logan would do anything for a friend. I don't know why Veronica Mars would go along.

**MARLER:**   Tell me about the Lilly Kane connection to all three of these kids.

**LAMB:**   Well, as you know, Duncan was Lilly's brother. Veronica was her best friend since they were seven years old, and Logan was her boyfriend since middle school. Duncan and Veronica used to date before Lilly's murder, and the two boys are best friends. I don't know what kind of relationship Logan and Veronica had.

**MARLER:**   Is there any possibility that Duncan and Veronica are dating again?

**LAMB:**   From what I understand from their classmates, Veronica has been estranged from both boys for the past year.

**MARLER:**   So it was pure chance that they happened along to rescue Veronica?

**LAMB:** It appears that way, yes.

**MARLER:** Thank you for answering our questions, Sheriff Lamb. Is there a number our viewers should call if they see these three?

**LAMB:**  Umm….Yes. I'd like to ask that if you see these kids, please contact the Balboa County Sheriff's Department. I don't believe them to be armed or dangerous, but I ask that you don't attempt to apprehend them yourselves. Duncan Kane is an unknown risk.

**MARLER:**  Thank you Sheriff Lamb. We'll display that phone number. Connie, back to you.

[Ann Marler/Don Lamb are replaced by a color photo of a smiling long haired Veronica on the beach in a one-piece bathing suit and a long sarong knotted at her left hip. One of her arms is around Logan and the other around Duncan, both of whom wear board shorts.]

**ANCHOR VOICEOVER:**  Thank you Ann. As yet, we have not been able to reach the Mars, Echolls, or Kane families for comment. We’ll keep you apprised of developments as they come in.

"I remember that day," Logan says, staring at the photo. "I think Dick took that picture."

_I remember always thinking of you two as 'My boys'. Why does it still hurt so much?_

"Lamb has been coached," Veronica says distractedly. "And he's working for the Fitzpatricks."

"What do you mean?"

"Somebody coached Lamb how to speak to the reporter. He couldn’t care less that I was almost raped."

"I know he's a moron, but that's a little harsh even for him."

"I know a girl who was raped," Veronica says quietly. "When she reported it, he told her to _'_ _Go see the wizard and ask for a backbone_ _'_.

"What a fucktard. I believe you. When they had me in for that mysteriously appearing bong…" His eyes slide over to Veronica knowingly. "He told me to  _'Go see the wizard and ask for some weed to smoke in it.'_ Why the Fitzpatricks?"

"We're accessories to murder. Lamb should be organizing a manhunt for us, but he's keeping it low-key, acting as if we're a couple of crazy kids acting up. He doesn't want us to be caught, because the Fitzpatricks want to find us themselves. If they have their way, we'll be the next Jimmy Hoffas. Never seen or heard from again."

Logan looks at Veronica, his eyes full of dark emotion. "I want a time machine. I want to go back and murder that fucker myself. When I saw the bruises earlier…And then when I saw him punching you." He takes a shaky breath. "I want to kill him so badly."

Veronica puts a hand on Logan's arm and squeezes. "It's okay, Logan. He's dead."

Logan looks down at Veronica's hand and back up at her eyes. He laughs nervously. "Why are you comforting me? You're the one who was attacked by that animal. I'm just the guy who came along at the last minute. Almost too late. You shouldn't be comforting me."

"It's what I do." Veronica shrugs. "Or did. Or do again. Or…whatever. Get some sleep, Logan."

Logan puts an arm around Veronica and squeezes. He stands, turns off the TV, the lights, and climbed in bed with Duncan. Veronica climbs under the covers and closes her eyes.

"Veronica?" Logan says a moment later.

Veronica rolls her eyes and grins in the dark. Apparently, Logan is a talker once the lights go out.

"Yes, Logan?"

"You are the strongest person I've ever known."

Veronica’s eyes well up. "Thank you," She says quietly, glad that he can’t see her tears. "Good night Logan."

"Night."

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Two**  
**Sweet Dreams Motel**  
**Somewhere in Texas.**

 

_Veronica has been waiting for an opportunity to wear this dress, and since nobody invites her out anymore, she's decided to crash Shelly Pomroy's party - the social event of the year._

_Last year, she'd attended with Lilly and Logan. She can't remember why Duncan hadn't been able to attend, but Lilly had disappeared sometime during the night, leaving Veronica to care for a drunk Logan, as usual. She hates these memories of Lilly. She doesn't want to remember her as selfish, thoughtless, and possibly unfaithful. She wants to remember her as the best friend she ever had._

_She's surprised at all of the stares tonight. Sure, Logan is angry with her, but it's not as if she's done something scandalous. What exactly has she ever done to all of these other people?_

_And there is the Prince of Darkness himself. At the bar, doing shots, surrounded by hangers-on. He sees her, but surprisingly, keeps his mouth shut for once. She wonders who's going to take care of him as he pukes tonight. She shouldn't be feeling this twinge of jealousy. He's the one who turned against her, and it's hardly some kind of honor to care for a drunk. But old rituals die hard._

_She keeps walking, putting distance between herself and Logan, and there is Duncan, the supposed love of her life, being mauled by a brunette with a ponytail. Veronica can't see the girl's face, but she has a good idea who it is. Nice to know that Duncan is still pining away for her. Maybe it's time for her to start dating again. It's clear now that Duncan will not be 'coming to his senses' anytime soon._

_She has a drink in her hand, and she isn't sure how it got there, but it tastes good. Rum and Coke, she thinks. She begins seeing stars and then giggles because she's *actually seeing stars* they're hanging everywhere. She's getting dizzy so she stumbles to the closest pool chaise. Sweet relief. She's just going to sleep now, for a bit._

_" Your turn again, Logan."_

_She opens her eyes. There may be a crowd around her. She's not sure. To her, there's only herself and Logan. He's her enemy, yet he's sitting on the edge of her chaise. She'll be all right now that he's here. He'll help her get home._

_He looks surprised when her eyes lock onto his; even more so when she clutches his hand._

_" Your eyes, Logan…"_

_" What about them?" His voice is hoarse, as if he's been yelling._

_" They're like the universe." She giggles. "Infinite and Unfathomable."_

_Logan looks as if he's been punched._

_" Hey, it'll be OK." She says pulling her hand free and touching his arm, hoping to reassure him. For some reason, this is a bad idea, but she can't remember why._

_" Why won't you just fucking break already, Veronica?" His voice cracks as he runs a hand through the front of his hair._

_She looks at him in confusion. "Break?"_

_" God, Logan! Take your turn or move so somebody else can."_

_Logan sighs._

_" Close your eyes." He leans forward and whispers. She can almost feel his lips against her ear._

_She closes her eyes. Something is pressed into her mouth. It tastes like lemon._

 

_She's in a bed, in Shelly's guest room, and she can't move. She can turn her head, but she literally can't move her limbs. A shadow moves at the end of the bed, and Ciaran Fitzpatrick comes into view. She screams, but the people standing right outside the door don't even look her way._

_Ciaran pulls off her shoes, and begins running his hand up her bare leg._

_"Don't touch me!" she screams._

_He smiles, exposing his rotting teeth, and the smell of rot permeates the entire bedroom. It's suffocating her._

_"Stop touching me! Leave me alone! Please!"_

_He's pulled her dress all the way up now and he's ripping off her underwear. Two tugs and they're gone._

_"Get off of me! Let me go!"_

_He's squeezing her, leaving bruises on her breasts and thighs. Where he touches her, black and blue bruises spring up. He reaches for his zipper._

_"Please don't hurt me! Please let me go! Not again! Not again! Please!" She's screaming at the top of her lungs. She's thrashing her head from side to side._

 

The bed shifts, and Veronica opens her eyes to find the room pitch black. She's enfolded in the scent of the ocean, and pulled snugly against a warm chest.

"Logan?"

"Shhh. It's okay, Veronica. You were having a nightmare. Go back to sleep. I won't let anybody hurt you ever again."

Two arms wrap around her, and her head is tucked up under a chin.

She sleeps like a baby.

 


	10. Day Three - A Bad Case of UST

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Sweet Dreams Motel**  
**Somewhere in Texas**

Logan wakes an hour before the alarm is set to go off. He had been dreaming about Lilly, but he knows before even opening his eyes that it will be Veronica's head on his chest, and her hand curled around his right shoulder. She’s similar in size to Lilly, but where Lilly had always felt solid and substantial against him, Veronica is feather light, as if she would drift away if she weren't anchored down. She’s nestled up against his left side, and his left arm is wrapped around her, his hand resting gently on her hip.

He sighs and then allows himself a tiny grin. This is a change. Waking up with a girl whom he doesn’t feel like instantly extricating himself from. He's had a couple awkward mornings after one-night stands. Encourage the cuddling, and suddenly they're calling you their boyfriend.

But this is Veronica - not a one night stand - and she’s the last person who would ever confuse him for her boyfriend. Plus, her coconut-scented hair smells nice. He really doesn’t want to wake her; she'd had a rough night.

Stretching out his right arm to the nightstand, he fumbles for the T.V. remote. He grins as Veronica clenches his shoulder to prevent him from getting away. Even in her sleep, she’s a pushy little thing. Finally grasping the remote, he hits the power button, and lowers the volume, arranging his pillow to prop up his head.

The TV is still broadcasting the cable channel from the previous evening, and he zones out while they recap some of the national news.

He begins focusing again when he notices his and Veronica's picture on the screen.

 

**C-NOW NEWS - ALL NEWS ALL DAY**

[Logo fades to an enhanced still of Logan carrying Veronica away from the scene of the crime]

 

 

_Of course, they caught the exact moment where I softened towards her. I look like a complete sap there._

 

**ANCHOR:** Now for the story taking the country by storm: The fatal stabbing of an alleged drug dealer, Ciaran Fitzpatrick, by Duncan Kane – son of billionaire software tycoon, Jake Kane – while the victim was attempting to rape ex-girlfriend, Veronica Mars; and the subsequent disappearance of Duncan, Veronica, and witness, Logan Echolls – son of Oscar-winner Aaron Echolls. We take you now to Ann Marler, live at Neptune High School in Neptune, CA. Ann, have there been any new developments?

[Split screen displays showing the news anchor on the left half. On the right half, Ann Marler stands just off school property.]

**MARLER:**    Thanks Rebecca. No, there haven't been any new developments in the whereabouts of the missing kids.

**ANCHOR:**  Have you spoken with the families?

**MARLER:**  Keith Mars and Lynn Echolls have agreed to sit down with me this evening, and the Kanes will be holding a press conference later this afternoon.

**ANCHOR:**  And Aaron Echolls?

**MARLER:**  In the Czech Republic, filming a movie. He's unable to fly home due to contractual obligations. Lynn will be speaking for the family.

 

Logan's soft chuckle is tinged with bitterness. He'd known that his father wouldn't consider his disappearance worthy of coming home. Why should he be surprised?

 

**ANCHOR:**  Have you been able to speak with any of their teachers?

**MARLER:**  Assistant Principal Van Clemmons stopped by to make sure that we remained off school premises. He refused to comment, except for to say that all three were excellent students with promising futures. In fact, Veronica Mars was already considered a contender for the prestigious Kane Scholarship next year.

**ANCHOR:**  I understood you interviewed some of the classmates earlier this morning?

**MARLER:**   Yes, many of the students stopped by to tell me their stories about Logan, Duncan and Veronica. The stories were so conflicting that I thought a group interview might be a better approach.

**ANCHOR:**  Are you ready to run the footage?

**MARLER:**  I am.

 

[Tracking shot of the Sac N' Pack fades to a split screen. On the left side is a photo of Veronica sitting between Logan and Duncan on wooden gym bleachers, all laughing. On the right side is a small nondescript room with several couches. The couches are occupied by Neptune High School students.]

 

 

_Hail hail, the gang's all here…or flock…or whatever you call a grouping of vultures. Oh look, Veronica's only friend. Willy? Waldo? Wilber?_

 

<

**MARLER:**  I'd like to thank the Neptune Sac N' Pack for allowing us to use their break room for this interview. Sac N' Pack - You'll keep coming back. Can each of you introduce yourselves?

[On the right side of the split screen, the camera moves from student to student as they introduce themselves: Wallace Fennel, Dick Casablancas, Cassidy Casablancas, Madison Sinclair, Meg Manning, Susan Knight, Caitlin Ford, Sean Friedrich, and Casey Gant]

 

_Ahh…Wallace. I was close at least._

 

**MARLER:**  I'd like to thank you all for agreeing to speak to me today. Do you think Duncan, Veronica, and Logan are alive?

**DICK:**  What, are you asking if we think they've been killed? No way man. Logan Echolls is invincible. They totally took off.

**MARLER:**   Do the rest of you agree with that.

**EVERYONE:** (Shrugs and nods)

**MARLER:**  So you think they ran? Can any of you tell me where Logan, Duncan, and Veronica are heading?

**EVERYONE:**  (Laughing nervously, looking at each other and shrugging)

**DICK:**  Well there's always Tijuana. That's where I would go.

 

_And…if Weevil hadn't talked me out if it, you would have just blown my cover, Dick._

 

**MARLER:**  Are you aware of any vacation properties where they might be hiding?

**MADISON:**  The Kanes have their Napa house. I think they have a place at Big Bear also.

**CASEY:**  Aspen. I think both of the families have homes there.

**MARLER:**  Tell me about Duncan Kane. Has he ever displayed a violent side in the past?

**DICK:**  Never.

**CASSIDY:**   No.

**MEG:**  No, he wouldn't hurt a fly.

**SEAN:**   Not Duncan.

**SUSAN:**  Yes.

**EVERYONE:**   (All eyes turn to Susan)

[The left side of the split screen cuts to a recent photo of Duncan]

**MARLER:**   Susan, can you elaborate?

**SUSAN:**  My friend's brother works in the ER. Sometime last fall, Duncan was brought in kicking and screaming, and foaming at the mouth, calling out Veronica's name. It took three orderlies to get him in a straight jacket. This was right after he broke up with Veronica.

**MADISON:**  I heard that story too. Of course, it's always about Veronica.

 

_Wait...Duncan was calm after I pulled him off Jake that one night. He didn't even remember it happening the next day, so he must have flipped out twice that week he broke up with Veronica. What did she do to cause those kinds of meltdowns?_

 

**MARLER:**  Why do you think they took Ciaran Fitzpatrick's duffel bag? Do any of them have a history of drug use?

**DICK:**  No way, man.

**SEAN:**  No.

**SUSAN:**  I've heard rumors of the boys taking X at parties, but not day to day.

**MADISON:**  Personally, I think Duncan takes a whole pharmacy of drugs every day. What else could explain the personality change? But nothing illegal.

**WALLACE:** (shaking his head):  Veronica would have wanted the bag, if she was investigating the guy. She wouldn't let a clue like that get away.

[Left side of split screen cuts to recent photo of Veronica with short hair.]

**MARLER:**  Tell me why Veronica, a high school student, would be investigating a drug dealer.

**WALLACE:**  I talked to her that afternoon before she went to the park. Let's just say her client made her an offer she couldn't refuse.

**MARLER:**  Why would her client hire a teenage girl for such a dangerous job?

**WALLACE:** (looking shifty) : She...may have...taken the job on behalf of Mars Investigations.

**MARLER:**  How long has Veronica been investigating cases with her father?

**WALLACE:**   I believe they opened Mars Investigations around the beginning of the year.

**CASEY:**  That's correct. My parents hired Mr. Mars right after they opened to locate a missing author.

 

Veronica shifts in her sleep, sliding her hand from Logan's shoulder down to his stomach. Logan eyes the hand with a lifted eyebrow.

"Um…Veronica? You might want to wake up."

He felt her stir at his side, and braced himself for a verbal smack down.

"This feels dangerously close to cuddling," she mumbles against his chest.

Logan withdraws the arm that’s curled around Veronica. "Sorry. You were having a nightmare and screaming. I just thought…well…if I helped you…I'd be able to get some sleep."

"I know," Veronica says, sighing and rolling onto her back. "It worked. I actually got a good night's sleep. Thank you."

"Who are you and where'd you put Veronica?"

Veronica flashes an I-can't-believe-I-just-thanked-Logan-Echolls smile/wince.

"Look!" Logan says, pointing at the T.V. "Our devoted classmates are waxing poetic over us."

"Oh, I can't wait to see how much they really love me!" Veronica says in a pep squad voice, sitting and snagging Logan's pillow to prop herself up. His head thumps against the headboard.

"Hey! Get your own pillow!" He whines. When she only smirks at him, he pushed himself up into a sitting position and tries to steal the pillow back. Veronica compromises by giving him half.

_How strange is it that I can sit here with her shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee, and watch TV like an old married couple? Like we haven't been fighting for a year?_

 

[Left side of split screen cuts to a photo of Duncan.]

**MARLER:**  Madison, let's go back to your earlier statement about Duncan's personality change. Can you elaborate?

**MADISON:**  It was after Lilly's death. Duncan was always quieter than Logan…

**MEG:**  More introspective.

**MADISON:**  Right. He was introspective, but still friendly and outgoing. After Lilly died, he turned into a zombie: staring off into space, forgetting where he's supposed to be sometimes, looking lost. He's cold now.

**MEG:**  He's never rude or disrespectful, just withdrawn.

**SUSAN:**  He's drugged out of his mind. But to be honest, all three of them had personality transplants.

**MARLER:**   (with interest) : Logan and Veronica changed as well?

**EVERYONE:** (With various nods):  OH YEAH!

[Left side of split screen cuts to photo of Logan and Veronica sticking their tongues out at the camera]

**SUSAN:**  Logan used to be this...lovable goof. After Lilly's death he became...Can I say jackass on TV?

 

"Sure, if I can say 'bitch' in a motel room," Logan mutters under his breath.

 

**DICK:**   Ronnie changed the most. She used to be…

**CASEY:**  Innocent, naïve , the peacekeeper.

**WALLACE:**  The last word I'd ever use to describe Veronica Mars is naïve.

**CASEY:**   That's because you only know the new version of her. When they were the Fab Four, Logan and Lilly were the wild ones. Duncan and Veronica were the quiet, responsible ones.

**MEG:**  People were merciless with Veronica. She could either lay down and take it, or she could toughen up. She chose to fight back.

**SUSAN:**  She had a 180-degree personality change

 

"They really know nothing about you, do they?" Logan notes. "You were always tough. That's one of the first things I ever noticed about you."

"You bet I'm tough." Veronica holds up a bicep and flexes it.

 

**CAITLIN:**  She's not tough, she's mean.

**WALLACE:**  Mean? Because she found out what you were up to?

**CAITLIN:** (sulks)

 

"Wait, you cheated on me, and now you want to play the wronged victim, Caitlin?"

"The nerve of some people," Veronica says.

 

[Left side of screen cuts to photo of Duncan getting something out of a locker while Logan leans back against the adjacent locker.]

 

"Look at you all cool and unaffected. You practice that lean, don't you?"

"Always accusing me of practicing things. I practice walking backward, I practice leaning..." Logan shakes his head as if injured. "Why on earth would I practice a lean? You ever think maybe I'm just too lazy to stand up straight?"

Veronica looked surprised, at his reference to an earlier time.

_What, you thought I didn't remember every single detail about the day I met you?_

 

**MARLER:**  According to the video, Logan Echolls committed no crime. Why would he flee?

**DICK:**  Because Duncan's his BFF.

**CAITLIN:**  Logan takes care of Duncan.

**MARLER:**  Takes care of Duncan, how?

**CASSIDY:**   Ever since Lilly's death, Logan's been helping Duncan.

**CASEY:**  Duncan's a scholar. He gets good grades and everything, but if it weren't for Logan, he'd probably spend the entire day contemplating the meaning of his shoes. Logan at least gets him moving and socializing. Somewhat.

**MADISON:**  I'm telling you guys, it's the meds. Duncan didn't used to be like that.

 

"Did you remember to grab any meds for Duncan at the Kane house?" Veronica asks.

"Never crossed my mind," Logan says, "Maybe that's a good thing? Hopefully?"

 

**MARLER:**  What caused Veronica's breakup and estrangement from the boys?

 

Veronica stiffens next to him.

 

[The left side of the split screen cuts to a homecoming photo of Duncan and Veronica.]

**CASSIDY:**  That was two different things. Duncan and Veronica broke up first.

**MADISON:**   Nobody knows why. I heard that there never was a breakup. He just stopped speaking to her one day and left it to her to figure out.

**WALLACE:**  He still treats her as if she doesn't exist. That dude is cold-blooded.

**MARLER:**  When was the breakup?

**DICK:**  A couple weeks before Lilly died. It was a rough month for all of them. I think first Logan and Lilly broke up for the thousandth time, maybe a week later, Duncan and Veronica broke up, and then a couple weeks later, Lilly was murdered.

**MARLER:**  So Logan took Duncan's side against Veronica and turned on her?

**SUSAN:**  The rumors were that she had something to do with his breakup with Lilly.

**DICK:**  She did, but he forgave her for that. Logan and Ronnie were friends right before we went to Tijuana.

**MARLER:**  What's significant about Tijuana?

**CASSIDY:**  Dick, Logan and I were there the day Lilly was murdered.

 

 

_You ass! Why are you talking about Tijuana and the day that Lilly died?_

 

**CASEY** **:** Lilly was the glue that held them together. She was Duncan's sister, Logan's girlfriend, and Veronica's best friend.

**MARLER:**  So after Lilly's death…?

**CASEY:**   Without her boyfriend and her best friend, there wasn't much tying Veronica and Logan together.

 

"It wasn't like that," Logan says without any elaboration. He risks a glance at Veronica, but she’s not looking at him.

 

[Left side of split screen cuts to a photo of Logan and Veronica sitting on a blanket on the beach. Veronica wears a turquoise one-piece and Logan wears an unzipped wetsuit.]

**DICK:**  That's not true. Ronnie and Logan were good friends outside of the Kanes.

**MARLER** **:** So what happened?

**MADISON:**  Veronica's dad, the sheriff, went after the Kanes for Lilly's murder.

**DICK** **:** Logan thinks of Mr. Kane like his own father.

**CASSIDY:**  He made her choose - stand by her father, or stand by her friends.

**MADISON:**  She chose to stand by her father.

**DICK:**   She betrayed everyone.

**MARLER:**  How did she betray everyone?

**DICK:**  I just told you. She stood by her father.

**EVERYONE:** (Nods of agreement except for Casey, Meg, and Wallace)

**MARLER:**  I'm not grasping how that is a betrayal.

**WALLACE:**   Trust me. You're not the only one.

**CASSIDY:**  Loyalty means everything to Logan Echolls.

**SUSAN:**  So he declared war on Veronica.

**MEG** (rolling her eyes):  He made her life miserable. And all of the sheep followed.

**MARLER:**  What did Logan do to make Veronica's life miserable.

**WALLACE:**  Just from what she's told me? He started rumors, marked up her locker, marked up her car, let air out of her tires, threw her clothing in the toilet while she was in the locker-room shower.

**DICK:**  That was all of us, not just Logan.

**CASSIDY:**   Most of those things aren't Logan's style. When Logan does something to Veronica he wants her to know he's responsible. He wouldn't mess with her locker or her car unless she was standing there to witness it. What's the point if he doesn't get her attention?

**WALLACE:**   Well I was standing there next to Veronica last week witnessing him break her headlights.

**DICK:**  Hey! She planted a bong in his locker. What did she expect?

**WALLACE:**  He loved it. He called her cute and acted like it was a fun little game between them, and then two days later, he's a psycho at the beach with a tire iron breaking her headlights.

**CASSIDY:**  It is like a game to Logan.

**MARLER:**  Did Logan physically threaten Veronica with the tire iron? Was she afraid of him?

**WALLACE:**  Nah, only her car. Veronica Mars afraid of that punk? Please!

 

"Cause I'm tough!" Veronica holds up her fists in a boxing pose.

 

**DICK:**  Hey, Ronnie is no victim. She gives as good as she gets. She's done some really crappy things to Logan in revenge. Even to the rest of us. She's messed with my truck a couple times so that it wouldn't start.

**SEAN:**  Veronica is vindictive. She hates anybody with money. I wouldn't be surprised if she staged the entire thing to lure them back into her web.

**EVERYONE:** (turns to stare at Sean with mouths open)

 

Logan and Veronica stare at the TV with their mouths open.

"Mind taking a little side trip back to Neptune, so I can put my fist in his mouth?" Logan asks.

"That would be a problem. I could probably sic' Weevil on him though."

"Never thought I would see the day where I would side with Weevil over an 09er," Logan says.

 

**MARLER:**  Why would Veronica run away with somebody she hates?

**WALLACE:**  There's no way she would leave with Logan Echolls. I think they kidnapped her or took her hostage.

 

"Hurray! I'm a kidnapping fugitive now." Logan says, running a hand through his hair.

"Well...technically we both are. Duncan never exactly gave us his consent to bring him along. I knew I should have emailed Wallace before we left."

 

**DICK:**  That's ridiculous. They didn't kidnap her.

**MEG:**  She doesn't hate them.

**CASEY:**  I like Veronica, but I have to agree. Logan and Veronica have a very unhealthy sort of relationship. He puts so much effort into his rivalry with her, and Veronica is no better. If she didn't want the attention, she would try harder to avoid it. There are 30 lunch tables, and every day she chooses to sit at the table closest to Logan and Duncan. Facing them. That's not something you do when you just want to be ignored.

**MARLER:**  Why do you think that is?

**CASEY:**   I don't think either of them wants to let go of the past, or be forgotten by the other, even if the attention is negative. Maybe they need each other to keep Lilly Kane's memory alive? Maybe they should just hug and make up.

 

"Umm…You need a hug Veronica?" Logan's eyes are large and innocent.

"Considering our positions when I woke up, I think we've already exceeded our hug quota for the year," Veronica answers, not taking her eyes off the T.V.

 

[Left side of split screen cuts to photo of Duncan holding Veronica's hand at the lunch table and smiling at her]

**SEAN:**  I think it's because she's obsessed with Duncan.

**SUSAN:**  It's Duncan who's obsessed with her.

**MARLER:**   Why would you say that?

**SUSAN:**  Actually, they're both obsessed with her. But Duncan… (voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper)  A night or two before they disappeared, Duncan was making out with his girlfriend in his car, and called her by Veronica's name. When she questioned him, all he could do was laugh hysterically.

 

Logan is on the verge of laughing hysterically. He risks a peek at Veronica who’s looking over at the sleeping Duncan with a scowl on her face. She glances back at Logan.

"What's so funny?" She demands.

"I don't know. Maybe the fact that Duncan and I both have a Veronica Mars-related 'wrong name' incident. Maybe we should compare notes."

Veronica's eyes narrow into tiny slits. "You wouldn't dare."

_Uh-oh. She’s bout' to blow._

"No. I would never tell him about that. But can't you see the humor in it?"

"My humiliation? Yeah, it's hilarious."

"Humiliation? Shouldn't it be Shelly who's humiliated for that story getting out?"

"I wasn't talking about the Shelly situation." She sighs.

Logan sighs. "Why do you get so pissed off every time I mention that day?"

"Why do you need to keep mentioning it? Stop bringing it up already."

"I thought we'd left things on good terms that day. What's the problem?"

"I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. About. It.".

 

**CAITLIN:**  I think it would be romantic if they got back together.

**SUSAN:**  If Veronica and Duncan get back together, I hope they never come back. They were the most nauseating couple this school has ever seen. Like, they could not bear to stop holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes, so they would even eat their sandwiches one-handed.

 

"She has a point. You two  _were_  pretty nauseating."

"And you and Lilly were any better?"

"Lilly wouldn't put up with any of that mushy stuff. She hated it."

"But you didn't."

Logan shrugs. He'd picked the wrong girl if he was looking for PDA's.

_Or… face it Logan, maybe you just picked the wrong girl._

 

[Left side of the screen cuts to photo of Logan and Veronica at a party. He has both arms around her from behind and is whispering in her ear. By the laughter on her face, he's obviously flirting shamelessly.]

 

"That was a fun night. I think. I was pretty drunk."

Veronica looks at the photo wistfully. "When that picture was taken, you were trying to convince me that we should ditch the Kanes and run away together." She looks around the motel room as if in surprise. "Oh! What do you know?"

Logan sighs regretfully and points to Duncan. "We didn't do it right."

Veronica snorts in laughter. "Ahh…but is he  _really_  here?"

 

**MARLER:**  And Logan? You were saying that it's obsession behind all of the hostility?

**CASSIDY:** (laughing) : Hostility? It's a total act. Logan pretends to hate Veronica, but yeah, I'd agree, he's a bit obsessed with her. He's constantly staring at her. He knows her schedule by heart. He's always arranging to 'just run into her'. All of those pranks? He's pulling the pigtails of the girl he has a crush on. Then there's Duncan, who is completely in love with her, but trying to repress it. One of those guys is going to get the girl. That friendship is doomed.

 

Neither Veronica nor Logan look at the other.

 

**MARLER:**  Very interesting. So you think this is a love triangle situation.

**CASSIDY:**  Yes

**EVERYONE:** (several heads nod, while Wallace emphatically shakes his head in the negative.)

**MARLER:**   So who do you predict will 'get the girl'?

**CASSIDY:**  Well Duncan has that whole "first love' thing going for him, but I took Logan in the pool. I think Veronica has outgrown Duncan. She and Logan make much more sense now, personality-wise. Plus, I've learned to always bet on Logan.

**MARLER:**  What kind of pool?

**EVERYONE:** (Looking away shiftily)

 

Logan does a little fist pump.

"Logan?!" Veronica turns to him ready to yell.

Logan looks abashed. "I like to win things, okay?" He shrugs.

 

**CAITLIN:**  You have it all wrong. It's Veronica who's obsessed with Logan. I was dating Logan just last week, and she told him this awful lie about me, just to break us up.

**WALLACE:** (Eyebrows raised in disbelief) :  Oh…you just keep talking, girl.

**CAITLIN:**  She told Logan right in front of me that she switched to Journalism class just to be near him. She even wanted to switch to our fourth period class, but got it all wrong. She's obsessed with him.

 

"That girl is delusional," Veronica says, "The finer points of sarcasm appear to be lost on her."

"I didn't date her for her brains."

Veronica punches him in the arm and shakes her head.

 

**SUSAN:**  Well then it's very mutual. How's this for obsession? Logan was dating my best friend before Caitlin. And she didn't think his vendetta with Veronica was very healthy, so she gave him an ultimatum. Her or Veronica. He chose Veronica.

 

 

_And I was hoping that bullet point wouldn't get a mention. You just couldn't keep that to yourself, could you?_

"Did you rea-" Veronica begins.

Logan cuts her off. "Does she look kind of pregnant to you?"

Veronica just stares at him.

 

**WALLACE:**  Every single one of you is crazy. Veronica hates Logan. Logan hates Veronica. Veronica is dating Troy Vandergraff - or at least they had their first date the night before she disappeared.

 

"I am so glad I got you away from that douchebag," Logan says.

"Why? What is your issue with Troy?"

"Nothing. He just doesn't know how to follow instructions."

"Did you…" Veronica trails off at Dick's next statement.

 

**DICK:** Logan and Veronica? They have this crazy U.S.T. - Unidentified Sexual Tension.  (He pumps his hips suggestively in time with his words).

**MARLER:**  Isn't the U supposed to stand for Unresolved.

**DICK:**  Yeah, that too! I wouldn't be surprised if they've been having crazy hate sex under our noses for years.

**MARLER:**  If they were having sexual relations, wouldn't that negate the 'unresolved' part?

**DICK:**  Huh?

**MARLER:**  Thank you Mr. Casablancas.

 

Both Logan and Veronica groan at Dick's hypothesis.

"Awkward." Logan smirks, looking over at Veronica. She’s avoiding his eyes.

Okay, sure. We'll pretend we didn't hear that. Fine with me.

 

**WALLACE:**   Dude, you are delusional.

**MADISON:**  Actually every single one of you is wrong.

**EVERYONE:**   (turns to face Madison).

**MADISON:**   Logan and Veronica are together. Dating. A couple.

 

"We had to know that was coming," Logan says.

"That doesn't' mean I have to like it. Now the entire world is going to think that something is going on between us," Veronica moans.

_Isn't there something going on between us, Veronica?_

That question is written all over his face. Fortunately, rather than looking at him, Veronica's eyes are glued to the T.V.

 

**WALLACE:**  And you're even more delusional than your boyfriend. Did you miss the part where I said Veronica was dating Troy?

**MADISON:** (smirks)  I have it straight from their own mouths. I asked them point-blank if they were dating and they admitted it.

**EVERYONE:**   (mouths open)

**MARLER:**  When was this, Madison?

**MADISON:**   The night they left town. I may have been the last person to see them before they left. I was at Target.  (grimaces).  I had a gift card. I thought I could use it to buy CD's and DVD's.

**WALLACE:**  Veronica would never ever date Echolls.

**MADISON:**  I figured some people wouldn't believe me. That's why I'm glad that I videotaped them on my phone . (Turns to Ann Marler)  We can talk about the video afterwards?

**MARLER:**  Could they have been making it up as a cover story?

**MADISON:** (considers)  They were really into each other. Even before they knew I was there. Then the touching, and the forehead kissing. I think they were for real.

 

Veronica and Logan look at each other.

"She freaking recorded us?" Logan says, "Sometimes I really hate that girl."

"Only sometimes?"

 

**WALLACE** **:** Stop before I vomit.

**CAITLIN:**  I want to vomit too.

 

"That's your bulimia talking," Veronica mutters.

 

**MEG** **:** I don't think there's anything romantic going on. But they love each other. All three of them. You would have to understand the kind of friendship they had before Lilly's death.

[Left side of split screen cuts to photo of the Fab Four, all laughing.]

**MARLER:**  Tell me about the friendship

**MEG:**   The four of them were very very close. Veronica and Logan were good friends for three years before Lilly's death. Veronica and Duncan were good friends for two years before they started dating. Duncan and Logan have been best friends since kindergarten. Lilly and Veronica since they were seven.

**SUSAN:**   The four of them used to be royalty. I mean, they hung around with everybody, but nobody could break into their inner circle. They were very...exclusive.

**DICK:**  Sometimes, at a party, Logan would...imbibe…a bit too much, and he would always send us to go find Veronica.

**CASEY:**  And she'd always come. No questions asked.

**CASSIDY:**   Lilly wasn't very nurturing. Veronica would take care of him and drive him home.

**CASSIDY:**  Remember when Logan almost started a war with Pan High because that guy hit on Veronica?

**DICK:**   Hey, that dude totally disrespected her. And Duncan couldn't be bothered to do anything about it.

**WALLACE:**  And now Logan is her chief disrespecter.

 

"Did that really happen? How come I never heard about it?" Veronica asks in surprise.

"He grabbed your ass, Veronica. You thought I was just going to let him get away with that?"

 

**MEG:**   When Lilly died, they all suffered from temporary insanity, but I think they would have found their way back to each other eventually. Those kinds of bonds can never be truly broken. Battered and bruised, but not broken.

 

Veronica puts her face in her hands and breathes.

"What, Veronica?" Logan asks, hand on her back. "You okay?"

"I hate this!"

"Being on the run?"

"No, this." She gestures to the TV. "Memories. I don't want to remember you like you used to be. You're not that guy anymore who defended my honor. You're the guy who ruined my reputation."

"I'm the guy that got you and Duncan away from that maintenance building." Logan says quietly.

"You're the guy who bashed in my headlights."

"I'm the guy who made the nightmares go away."

Veronica lifts her head to face Logan, searching his eyes, and then sighs in resignation.

 

**MARLER:**  Before we wrap things up here, do any of you have anything you'd like to say to Logan, Duncan, or Veronica?

**CAITLIN:**   I miss you Logan. Please come home.

**SEAN:**   Guys, what were you thinking? Veronica Mars? So not worth it.

**CASEY:**  Stay safe guys, and take care of Veronica. She's not as tough as she pretends to be.

 

"Am too!"

 

**MADISON:** (smirking)  Logan, I gave you the two days you asked for. Stay safe, all of you.

**CASSIDY:** (laughing)  I'd give anything to be a fly on the wall wherever you guys are. There's going to be fireworks. Stay safe. Stay cool. Try not to kill each other. And Logan, just admit already that you want her. I have a lot of money riding on you.

**WALLACE :**   (shaking his head in disgust) .  Veronica. You're a smart girl. I'm sure you'll find a way to get away from them. They have to sleep sometime. I miss you, girl.

**MEG:**   I'm happy that you three found each other again. Lilly would be very proud of you guys for saving Veronica, and even prouder to see you sticking together. Stay safe. I miss you guys.

**DICK:**   Yo! Logan! I totally took you in the pool, dude! Rock on with your U.S.T. with that hot little blonde! But remember to suit up!

 

"Hey, you want to hook up? We can split the money." Logan waggles his eyebrows at her.

"Guess that's a big 'no'," he says, when she rolls her eyes at him.

 

**MARLER:**   (shaking her head) . I noticed that none of you urged your friends to turn themselves in to the police.

**DICK:**  Dude, have you met Sheriff Lamb?

**WALLACE:**   That may be the first thing you and I have ever agreed on. Sheriff Lamb is as corrupt as...Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane.

**MADISON:**  I don't know. I kind of like him.

**MARLER:**  I'd like to thank each of you for taking the time to answer my questions. Rebecca, back to you.

**ANCHOR:**  Thank you, Ann. I look forward to your interview with the parents, later today.

 

Veronica sighs. "You know, our classmates are ridiculous. I was almost raped, and Duncan killed somebody, and all anybody cares about is who I'm hooking up with."

"Welcome to high school," Logan says.

"We're just three high school students who got in a jam. How does our love lives - or lack of one - become national news? Who could possibly care?"

"Veronica, people sit at home and watch Ozzy Osbourne's kids clean up dog-shit on TV. There are TV shows about Anna Nicole Smith. Nick and Jessica. Paris freaking Hilton. They're C-Listers, B-List at best. Daddy dearest is A-List. A 2-time Oscar winner. As much as it sucks, people want to know where I'm hiding, who I'm fucking, what I'm wearing, and what I ate for breakfast. I can't go to the mailbox without people on tour buses snapping my pictures. Now I'm a fugitive, on the run with a billionaire's kid and a hot blonde, who may be my girl or may be Duncan's or may be playing us both. People want to know. Welcome to my life." Logan sighs resignedly and shrugs.

 

[Split screen restores to a full screen showing Ann Marler in the present time]

**MARLER:**  So to recap…  (she sighs) , nobody at Neptune High seems to know the whereabouts of the three missing teens, nor where they are headed. Duncan Kane may have had a violent episode once in the past. None of them are regular drug users. Logan may have fled to take care of Duncan. Nobody knows why Veronica tagged along. A rift between the three started last year after the death of Lilly Kane, and may or may not exist to this day. They may be friends. Or enemies. Or lovers. Veronica may be obsessed with Duncan. Or Logan. Or Duncan may be obsessed with her. Or Logan is. Or all of the above. Logan has tried to make Veronica's life miserable. Veronica has responded in kind. The students of Neptune High feel there's enough potential for a love triangle that they've started a pool. And finally, Logan and Veronica may be suffering from a bad case of  (she smirks here)  U.S.T.

**ANCHOR** :  (chuckling) :  Thanks Ann, we'll check in with you later for updates.

[Cut back to the opening still of Logan carrying Veronica which then fades to the C-NOW call sign.]

 

"What in the hell was that?" Veronica asks when she could finally speak again.

"I have no idea."

"So…" She laughs nervously. "You think Penicillin clears that stuff up?"

"What? U.S.T.? Nope. Sorry Veronica. There's only one cure for U.S.T." He raises an eyebrow at her suggestively. "So whadya think? Want to get to work on that?"

Veronica gives him her most flirtatious smile, and then pushes him off the bed.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Sweet Dreams Motel**  
**Somewhere in Texas**

 

They take turns showering and caring for Duncan.

"I'll go turn in the room key if you pack up the truck," Veronica offers, adjusting her curly dark brown wig in the mirror.

"Eww. Not that wig again!" Logan sneers. "It's funny how I always get relegated to packhorse duty."

At Veronica's glare, Logan sighs and holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine. No problem."

"Back in a sec," she says, scooping up the room key and exiting the room.

As Veronica approaches the front office, the door opens and a very large man stalks out, clearly frustrated. He heads for a green muscle car, keys in hand, but changes his trajectory when he notices Veronica.

"Excuse me, miss. Can you take a look at these pictures and tell me if you've seen any of these three kids?"

He holds out what looks to be photos cut from a yearbook. Veronica glances down at his hand and then back up at his face.

_Liam Fitzpatrick!_

She freezes in place, staring. He suddenly recognizes her as well, and bounds towards her. As Liam is about to reach for her, Veronica feints to her left and takes off running in the direction from which she'd come, screaming at the top of her lungs.

She hears the sound of Liam's feet pounding the sidewalk behind her. Crying and gulping air, she runs even faster down the long stretch of rooms. As she rounds a blind corner, Logan is there.

He pushes her behind him, and when Liam rounds the corner, he runs straight into Logan's fist.

Liam stops, but does not go down. Logan hits him again in the face - obviously with all of his strength - to no avail. Liam remains on his feet.

A twisted smile comes over Liam's face, and he starts hitting back. Logan manages to stay on his feet after Liam's first two punches, but he goes down on the third.

"Oh my God! Logan!" Veronica screams. "Don't hurt him!"

Before Liam can kick Logan in the ribs, Veronica leaps onto his back, grabbing a handful of hair with her left hand and scratching at his face with her right. She tries to dig her feet in to climb higher up his back, but can’t get any purchase.

Liam rams backwards into the brick wall of the motel, crushing Veronica, but she manages to hold on. As she tries to go for Liam's eye, he rams backwards again. This time, her head strikes the brick wall, and she slides to the ground.

Liam leans over her menacingly. "You're going to regret that, Blondie." He grabs her by the hair and drags her to a standing position. Suddenly Logan is between them, shielding her with his body.

"Don't touch her," Logan snarls through gritted teeth. He punches Liam in the face. "Don't you EVER touch her! Veronica, run! Get out of here!"

Veronica slips out from between Logan and the wall. She watches as Logan and Liam trades punches. Liam is bigger, stronger, and seems to feel no pain, but Logan is faster and has more at stake. She notices how when Logan punches, he puts his entire body into it – as if trying to punch  _through_ Liam's face. It’s graceful even in its clumsiness, which is a contradiction she’d need to think about later.

Logan has Liam backed against the wall and on his knees when he notices Veronica.

"Veronica, I told you to run," he cries in exasperation.

Liam takes advantage of Logan's distraction, and catches him with a right-hook that knocks him to the ground. Liam is leaning over, fist pulled back to punch him, when Logan's foot comes up between his legs. Howling, Liam hunches over in pain. Logan scrambles off the ground and begins pounding Liam in the face again. This time Liam goes down.

Logan crouches over to hit him in the face again, but Liam's foot sweeps out and knocks Logan off his feet.

Logan remains on the ground, the wind knocked out of him, while Liam slowly staggers to his feet. He pulls back a booted foot and kicks Logan in the ribs. He’s pulling back his foot to kick Logan a second time, when Veronica presses her taser against his side and pulls the trigger.

Liam goes down, and Logan scrambles backwards, rising unsteadily to his feet.

"Come here, Veronica."

"What if he tries to get up?" Veronica asks.

"Come. Here." He commands.

Veronica walks over to Logan and he gently pushes her behind his back. Reaching into the back of his pants, Logan pulls out a gun and aims it at Liam, who’s just beginning to stir.

Veronica loses it. "A gun, Logan? Where'd you get a gun?"

"I took it off the other Fitzpatrick when you made me undress him. Did you turn in the room key Veronica?" He never takes his eyes off Liam.

"Not yet."

"Okay, go unlock our room. Then run to the truck and grab your handcuffs."

"Logan did he hurt you?"

"Just do it, okay? Get a roll of duct tape, too."

"Okay," Veronica agrees. She puts her hand on Logan's side, and he covers her hand with his own for a second, lightly squeezing.

 

When Veronica returns to the room, Logan has Liam backed up against the wall. Something about Liam's eyes terrifies Veronica. As she approaches him with the handcuffs, Logan stops her.

"No, Veronica. Come here."

Veronica walks over to where Logan stands near the bed, and he reaches out his left arm drawing her near. She can feel his breath on her ear as he whispers, "The minute you go anywhere near him, he's going to grab you and try to use you as a shield. He won't take being backed into a corner."

"What are we doing then?" Veronica asks.

"I need you to hold the gun. And don't let him see any hesitation on your face, okay?"

Veronica nods, taking the gun.

"Lace your hands on the back of your head, Fitzpatrick." Logan commands.

Veronica has never seen Logan so self-assured. He’s calm to the point of being icy.

Liam look Logan up and down, and Veronica jerks the gun up, catching his attention.

"You're not going to shoot me, Blondie," Liam says, leering at her.

"You go right ahead and believe that," Logan offers. "I've made the mistake of underestimating her before. You have no idea of the lengths to which this girl will go. Now turn around."

Liam smirks, and slowly laces his fingers together at the back of his neck.

"Now walk slowly into the bathroom. Any sudden moves and she will shoot you."

Liam walks into the bathroom, and then turns back to look at Logan.

"You gonna cuff me to a toilet the way you did my cousin, boy?"

Veronica glances at the toilet. It’s not going to work this time. It’s wider at the base, and Liam isn't unconscious like Danny Boyd had been. There’s a pedestal sink in this bathroom though.

Logan, apparently, has come to the same conclusion. "I want you to sit down very slowly, and wrap your arms around the sink. Any sudden moves and she will shoot you."

Liam smirks again before following instructions.

Logan approaches very carefully. Ready to leap back at even a hint of movement, Logan carefully snaps the cuffs first onto Liam's left wrist, then his right.

"Okay, Fitzpatrick. I need you to straddle the sink, so that I can tape your feet together.

"Fuck you, punk."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, Fuck. You. Punk. The sheriff's daughter is not going to shoot a man who's handcuffed to a sink."

"Yeah, but I will," Logan promises, reaching for the gun.

"Logan…" Veronica signals him with her eyes to step outside the bathroom.

Logan follows her out, and drops to the end of the bed, running his hands through his hair.

Veronica drops down next to him. "Let's just chloroform him, strip him, and get the hell out of here."

"We can't!" Logan says, frustration evident in his voice. "We can't get near him."

"He's cuffed, Logan."

"Did you see his eyes, Veronica?"

"What about them?"

"They're fucking evil personified. This guy isn't like Danny Boyd. I know a man like this. He's psychotic. He's not going to let us anywhere near him to chloroform him."

"Logan, you could hold the gun while I-"

"Veronica, he knows we can't shoot him while he's cuffed. You try to get near him, he's going to use his legs. First, he will kick you. Hard. After he's hurt you, he will lock his legs around you to pull you closer, and when he has you near his face, he'll bite. I don't mean bite to hurt you. I mean he will tear flesh from your cheek or your throat or whatever is closest. I can see it in his eyes. There is no line he wouldn't cross, and he will not stop until we're dead."

Veronica shivers. It’s going to take a long time to get that visual out of her head. "So what do we do with him?"

"We'll have to leave him like he is." Logan answers, running a hand through his hair. "How'd he find us anyway? You realized we're two for two. Two days. Two Fitzpatricks."

Veronica shrugs. "He was less than an hour behind us when we left Arizona. He obviously lost some time finding his cousin while he was there. Then I got us lost. He made the assumption that we stayed on Interstate 11, and after two hours without any motel sightings, it would make sense for us to have stopped here. We'll have to be way more careful in the future."

 

Veronica pulls out her mini digital video camera when Liam begins yelling from the bathroom, and presses the record button.

"You're going to die! I was going to kill you quickly, but now I'm going to stretch it out very very slowly," Liam bellows as Veronica turns the camera to the bathroom doorway capturing his rant.

"Veronnnnnica!" Liam yells. "I'm going to finish what my brother started. Gonna find out if you're a real blonde."

Logan seemingly forgetting his own warnings, tries to push past Veronica to go after Liam. "You even  _think_  about touching her-"

"Logan, No!" Veronica says, gripping his arm tightly. Logan turns back to her, his face tense.

_He's barely containing himself. If he doesn't calm down, Liam's going to be lunching on one of his cheeks. Can't have him messing up that pretty face._

"Logan, go out there, okay?" Veronica points, while pleading with her eyes.

Logan ducks his head, obviously torn between listening to Veronica and following his instincts to hurt Liam. Finally, he sighs and leaves the bathroom.

"Loooooogan!" Liam calls. "You better come kill me now, punk. You won't get another chance."

Liam looks right into Veronica's camera, a smirk on his face.

"Come kill me now, Logan, or I'm going to make you watch what I do to your girlfriend here before I kill you both."

Logan is behind Veronica in the doorway again, trying to get past her. She turns off her camera, letting it drop to her chest on its strap. Grasping both sides of the doorframe, she pushes backwards with all of her strength to keep Logan away from Liam.

He’s stronger than she is, and also holding on to the door frame, so Veronica has to put her feet into it, pressing first one and then the other against the outside of the doorway and pushing against Logan with her back. Finally, she’s able to push him back a few inches. Giving up, Logan wraps an arm around Veronica's waist to prevent her from falling, before letting go of the frame. Veronica uses the opportunity to pull the bathroom door closed behind them.

When she turns around, Logan is looking at her admiringly. "God, you're tough, V."

She nods, embarrassed for having to resort to such measures.

"I'll kill him before I let him touch you," Logan assures her, staring at the door.

Veronica is more surprised by her answer than his statement, "I know."

_We suck at this vendetta stuff, Logan._

Veronica takes a good look at Logan and notices blood soaking through his T-shirt. "You're bleeding. I'll go get the first aid kit out of the car."

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Through the Looking Glass**

 

_Duncan clasps the perfectly matched pearls around his wife's neck, and watches her eyes in the mirror._

_"My engagement present! You found them! Thank you, sweetie," Veronica says, smiling as she reaches up to press them gently into her throat. "I thought I'd misplaced them in California."_

_She turns around and presses a kiss to his mouth. When her tongue tentatively slips past his lips, Duncan pulls away. He sees the hurt on Veronica's face._

_"Duncan, I think we need to discuss this problem of ours."_

_"What problem?" Duncan asks._

_"Don't play dumb, Duncan. We've been married for a year, and we still haven't consummated it. I thought it was because you were in D.C. and I was in California, but I'm not so sure anymore."_

_"Veronica," Duncan sighs. "I told you, it's not about sex. I love you."_

_"If you loved me, you'd want to have sex with me," Veronica insists._

_"Veronica, I love you more than anybody in this world, but we cannot have sex."_

_Veronica's face displays shock._

_"Cannot? Are you saying we can never have sex?"_

_"That's what I'm saying," Duncan answers, unable to meet her eyes._

_"Then why did you marry me?"_

_"Because I love you! You're the only girl I've ever loved and the only girl I will ever love."_

_Stepping into Duncan's personal space, Veronica reaches up and forces him to look at her. "Duncan, are you gay?"_

_"Absolutely not," Duncan answers without hesitation._

_"Have you ever been with a man?" Veronica asks._

_"No."_

_"Have you ever been with a woman?"_

_"Yes."_

_"How many?"_

_"I don't know. Eleven? Twelve?"_

_Tears well up in Veronica's eyes. "You've slept with twelve other women, but won't sleep with me?"_

_"Veronica…" Duncan's hand cups her cheek. "Believe me when I say that I love you more than life. I want you to be my companion until the end of my days, but I cannot and will not ever sleep with you."_

_"Why not?" Veronica's eyes are icy._

_"I can't answer that."_

_Veronica begins unbuttoning her blouse, eyes locked on Duncan's. Slipping the blouse off her shoulders, she reaches behind her and unclasps her bra, allowing it to slip to the floor. Duncan gulps as he takes in the sight of his beautiful wife. Her breasts are in perfect proportion to her tiny frame, and his hands ache to touch her. They don't ache for long, as Veronica reaches for his hand and presses it to her right breast._

_Duncan loses his mind, squeezing and caressing his wife's breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers. She steps closer reaching between his legs and stroking his erection. Duncan groans and crushes his mouth to his wife's. Somehow, without him even noticing, he is backed up against the bed, and he's falling and Veronica is on top of him, straddling him, grinding against his erection._

_Duncan is losing this battle. He has a breast in each hand now. He's lifting up. He's wrapping his lips around a perky pink nipple, and Veronica's hands are sliding down the front of his pants._

_NO!_

_"This. Cannot. Happen." Duncan says, breathing heavily and forcibly removing Veronica from his lap. She is lying on the bed. Humiliated. Trying to cover her breasts. She begins to cry. This is odd, because she never cries._

_"Veronica." Duncan sits and tries to pull her face to his chest. He loves her. He wants to comfort her, but she shoves him away._

_"You want me, Duncan! Your eyes say you do, and your body says you do. Why can't this happen?"_

_Duncan looks at the floor, unable to answer._

_"I want a divorce,"_

_"Veronica…"_

_She repeats herself. "I WANT a divorce."_

_"If you still feel that way in four years, I'll grant you a divorce," Duncan agrees , not revealing how much that hurts him. She doesn't deserve a guilt trip. She deserves better than a sexless marriage. "But you know why I can't until then."_

_Veronica nods. She understands. She dresses without looking at him, smoothes her sleek mid-length blonde hair and adds the matching Chanel jacket to complete her perfect ensemble._

_A knock on the door. "Mr. President? Twenty minutes."_

_"Thanks, Ronald." Duncan calls out. He catches Veronica by the waist before she can storm off, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you so much," He whispers. "I wish I could give you more."_

_Veronica nods curtly._

_They hear a commotion outside the door and then it swings open as a man backs into the room._

_"Trust me. I'm allowed in." He's saying to the Secret Service agents planted outside the door._

_"It's okay," Duncan calls out. "That's Logan Echolls, my Body Man. He can be granted access at any time, for any reason."_

_"Yes, Mr. President," The Secret Service agent nods. "We'll have a badge made up for him."_

_"Thank you, Ronald,"_

_"We have a serious fucking problem," Logan announces, after the door closes._

_"I'll leave you two alone," Veronica says, still angry._

_Logan notices Veronica and holds up a hand. "Hey, Veronica. No, you need to stay for this."_

_"What's going on, Logan?" Veronica asks. Duncan cannot help but notice how, as always, Veronica's eyes linger on his best friend._

_"We have a situation." He will not meet Veronica's eyes. "Three days in office, and we already have a scandal about to erupt."_

_"What happened?" Duncan asks._

_"Well, it's about Veronica's mom," Logan begins_

_"Oh God!" Veronica's voice quavers. "She's turned up? Drunk as ever?"_

_"Well yes, but that's not the scandal."_

_Duncan crosses to his wife and pulls her into his arms. "I'm sorry, Veronica." He mutters into her hair._

_Not in the mood to be comforted, Veronica pulls away from Duncan and turns back to Logan. "Tell me the rest."_

_"Apparently, your mother is claiming to have had a twenty-year affair with Jake Kane. She's claiming that you are his daughter, and Duncan is your half-brother. Obviously, as soon as we get a DNA test…" Logan trails off. The look on Duncan's face says it all. "Oh Fuck." Logan whispers._

_Veronica is staring at her husband._

_"I never wanted you to find-" Duncan begins, his eyes tortured. He never finishes his sentence as Veronica pulls back and clocks the President of the United States in the face._

_"You MOTHER FUCKER!" She screams. "You knew! You knew I was your sister! No wonder you wouldn't kiss me, or fuck me!" She is shoving and pushing, and slapping at Duncan. He doesn't defend himself, because he deserves this and God, he loves her so much. Even now._

_Then she is in Logan's arms, and he's holding her close and running a hand over her hair, another hand up and down her back. "I'm so sorry, Veronica. I thought she was making it up. Trying to get a payoff. So sorry."_

_"Veronica…" Duncan apologizes. "I'm so sorry. I loved you so much that I couldn't live without you."_

_"I hate you," Veronica practically spits, voice low, never leaving Logan's arms._

_"I understand."_

_"So how should we handle this, Duncan?" Logan asks, his hands still traveling up and down the back of Duncan's wife._

_"Pay her off. Double the amount she's asking for. Triple it! Whatever you do, don't let Weidman find out about this."_

_Logan nods, and pulls back from Veronica, holding her by the forearms and looking down into her eyes. "You need anything from me - anything at all - you only have to ask."_

_Veronica reaches up a hand, touching Logan's cheek. "Thank you," she whispers._

 

_Duncan is the youngest man ever to take office as President of the United States of America. His father has been working on this since the day Duncan was born. Logan has been working tirelessly on this for years. Always by Duncan's side, doing whatever is necessary. But Duncan didn't do this for his father or for Logan. He did it for Veronica. To make her proud of him. He did not enter into marriage with her with the intent to commit incest. He simply wanted her to be his lifelong companion. He should have realized that her passion for seeing justice served would indicate that she had a physically passionate side as well._

_It has been several days now, and Veronica is still barely speaking to him. He knows it is not proper behavior for the POTUS, but he's working his way through the everlasting bottle of single-malt scotch. It's hard to care about propriety when your world is falling apart. He's President of the United Fucking States of America, and he is sleeping on the couch, because his wife hates him._

_Said wife is traipsing around in a slinky champagne-colored silk chemise with black lace trim that barely skims her thighs. Apparently, she's mistaking the fact that he is her brother for him not having a libido. That, or maybe she's purposely trying to punish him. She always did have a bitchy streak._

_A knock at the door. "Open," Duncan calls._

_"Mr. President? It's Mr. Echolls," The Secret Service agent announces. "I told him it's too late, but he insisted."_

_"Let him in," Duncan acquiesces . "Oh, and Ciaran? Get those knife wounds looked at, okay?"_

_"I have, Mr. President, but every day they come back." He shrugs, dripping blood on the floor. "If there's nothing else?"_

_Duncan shakes his head, and the door opens wider to allow Logan access._

_"Hey, DK." Logan greets his old friend as the door closes. "I took care of that situation we talked about."_

_"Yay!" Duncan fakes enthusiasm with a cheerleader's pose._

_"Are you drunk, Duncan?" Logan asks, searching his eyes._

_Duncan lets out a bitter laugh. "I keep drinking the scotch, and they keep on refilling it."_

_"Is this about Veronica?" Logan asks._

_"Everything is about Veronica," Duncan answers._

_The bitch [love of his life] chooses that moment to enter the room._

_"Logan…" She says, breathlessly. "I didn't know you were here." She runs her hands down her hips, smoothing out her chemise. Duncan watches Logan's eyes follow. He sees desire flare for a moment before Logan's mask comes up, and he takes a seat on the couch._

_Duncan laughs. Duncan giggles. Duncan drops down onto his couch/bed and drinks his scotch right out of the decanter._

_"DK?" Logan asks._

_"Logan?" Duncan responds . "Have you ever fucked my wife?"_

_"God, Duncan!" Logan jumps off the couch. "How could you even ask me that?"_

_"Have you ever thought about fucking my wife?" Duncan asks._

_"Dude. You're my best friend…" Logan reminds him ._

_"And...That non-answer was my answer." Duncan replies, turning to his wife._

_"Ver-on-i-ca." he singsongs. "Have you ever thought about fucking my best friend?" He looks up at her._

_"All. The. Fucking. Time." She answers, a cruel smile on her face._

_Logan, for his part, cannot seem to breathe. His eyes lock with Veronica's and Duncan feels like an outsider in his own marriage - and really fucking turned-on._

_"Well…" he says with finality, "She's all yours."_

_"Duncan?" Logan asks. "You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying."_

_"I know exactly what I'm saying. I can't touch my wife, and I can't give her a divorce until my term ends. I cannot give her pleasure. You can. If she wants you to."_

_"Duncan...our friendship…"_

_"I know, Logan," Duncan sighs. "It means everything to me too. But Veronica means everything to me, and she is not happy. You can make her happy. Please make her happy. For me"_

_Logan looks at the floor. He cannot win in this situation._

_Veronica takes the decision out of their hands. She walks slowly to Logan and touches his face. When Logan raises his head, Duncan can see a storm of emotions chasing across his face: love, lust, fear, anticipation._

_Veronica hooks her thumbs under the spaghetti straps of her chemise allowing the garment to slide down her body to the floor, pooling at her feet. Logan takes one look at the naked First Lady and gives up the ghost. His mouth is on hers; his hands are lifting her up by the ass. Her legs wrap around Logan's waist, and he turns shoving her against the wall. She is making breathy little moans while he kisses the living hell out of her._

_Even before he knew she was his sister, Duncan had never kissed Veronica like that._

_Veronica pulls away from the kiss long enough to turn back to Duncan._

_"Can we have some privacy here?"_

_"Sure. Why not?" Duncan nods and walks to the door, opening it._

_"Hey Ciaran," he acknowledges his bodyguard._

_"Mr. President."_

_"So where do presidents usually go to hang out when they've given their best friend permission to fuck their wives?"_

_Ciaran thinks for a moment. "May I suggest the maintenance building?"_

_"Sounds like a plan," Duncan says. "Oh, and get somebody to clean up all that blood. You really should get those knife wounds looked at."_

_"Yes, Mr. President."_

 

_Duncan's trip to the maintenance building is a bust. The small brick building with a tall wooden fence appears out of place on the manicured White House Lawns. Once inside the gate, he sees only a spreading puddle of blood and a wickedly sharp looking knife. He feels like this should be important to him, but how can he care about anything when his wife hates him? He slides down the fence until he's in a sitting position, and rocks a bit while he waits, but nothing happens. Eventually, he decides to search for other amusements._

_He's exploring a hallway he's never been down before when an open doorway beckons to him. Inside, he finds a row of chairs. Having nothing better to do, he takes a seat in the center chair. In front of him, a spotlight suddenly turns on._

_A mustached man - is that Peter Lawford? - standing behind a podium gestures to his left. A spotlight turns on in the location where he pointed, illuminating…nothing._

_The man appears flustered. "Mr President, in the history of show business, there has been no one female, who meant so much, who has done more…" His speech is cut-off when a woman approaches._

_Lilly? Her hair is cropped short and fluffy. Not her natural honey blonde, but a platinum color – except where discolored from the blood dripping from her head wound. She rushes to the podium, although her dress is so tight that she can only move from the ankles._

_Peter Lawford puts his arm around her and leans in to the microphone. "Mr. President, the LATE Lilly Kane."_

_He takes the white fur from Lilly's shoulders and steps out from the spotlight. Lilly is wearing a skintight flesh colored dress covered with thousands of rhinestones. She leans into the microphone and begins singing in a breathy whisper._

_" Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Mr. President. Happy Birthday to you."_

_Duncan finds himself clapping like a seal. "Like Logan," he thinks to himself. Which diminishes his amusement._

_" Lilly, you're crazy," he calls out. "You know my birthday isn't for months."_

_" True enough," she says stepping off the stage. She looks down at her ensemble, admiring her own cleavage in particular. "But I was born to wear this dress. Actually, I was born in the wrong decade. I could have been filling out dresses like this one every day."_

_She drops down onto Duncan's lap. "Hiya Donut!"_

_Duncan looks uncomfortable. "Get your own chair, Lil."_

_" But this is more comfortable." She pouts._

_" It's highly inappropriate. You're my sister!"_

_" I hate to break it to you, Donut." Her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper and she shields her words with her hand. "But you  married  your other sister."_

_Sighing, Duncan rises and dumps Lilly onto a nearby chair. He begins pacing._

_" So Logan and Veronica finally?" Lilly asks._

_" What do you mean, finally?"_

_" You had to have known it would happen eventually, Duncan. You know how he feels. You've always known."_

_" But Veronica…"_

_" You've known that all along too, Duncan. Quit hiding your head in the sand."_

_Duncan sighs. "I miss you, Lilly. Hey! You want to go find the kitchen? We can eat out of the peanut butter jar for old time's sake."_

_Lilly smiles regretfully. "I'd love to, but I have a date." She looks up at the doorway. "Oh, there he is."_

_Duncan joins her as she wiggles her way over to her suitor. "Hello again, Ciaran."_

_Ciaran takes a handkerchief out of his inside pocket and dabs gently at the gash on the top of Lilly's head._

_" I like your dress, Lilly." He smiles shyly._

_" I like your gut wound. My brother does nice work. See ya later, Donut."_

_And with that they were gone, and Duncan is left to wonder what her last comment had meant._

 

_An hour later Duncan (and his decanter of scotch) stumbles back into the Presidential suite. He tiptoes into the bedroom to grab a pair of pajama bottoms._

_Logan is still awake, obviously naked under the sheets, and cradling Veronica tenderly against him._

_"Hey man," he whispers, his eyes a mixture of the guilt of betrayal and the happiness of wishes fulfilled._

_"Hey," Duncan sighs. "How long have you wanted this?"_

_"I don't know. Always, I guess. I never meant to act on it."_

_Duncan sighs again. "Isn't this the part where you tell me 'Not the same girl'? This one is mine'?"_

_"Nah, man," Logan says, lifting and displaying the strand of perfectly matched pearls around her neck. "Mine is short skirts and biker boots. She evaporated the day you put these pearls around her neck. This one is yours."_

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Sweet Dreams Motel**  
**Somewhere in Texas**

 

Veronica checks on Duncan when she runs out to the truck to get the first aid kit. There has been no change.

"Hang in there, Duncan. We'll be back in about ten minutes," she promises, squeezing his hand.

Liam is silent when Veronica returns to the motel room. Logan has the news on and his shirt off. He’s holding a dry washcloth against the cut on his ribs.

"Oh, Logan." She sighs, looking him over. "He did a number on you."

Logan looks up with the puppy dog eyes. "I almost believe you care."

"I can't believe how many hits he took without going down. Those were  _hard_  hits."

"He's a meth head. He feels no pain, Veronica."

Logan snickers when she sits down next to him. He reaches over and plucks the curly wig off her head, and tosses it in the general direction of the bathroom.

"Much better," he acknowledges, smiling at her, his eyes soft.

Veronica ignores the thumping of her heart, and opens the first aid kit, fiddling with the contents. She finds a tube of cotton squares and moistens one with peroxide.

Pressing a hand to Logan's chest, she gently pushes him, until he’s lying down. He crosses his hands under his head, waiting, while Veronica tries to ignore the fact that something about his low-slung jeans and his hipbones is ridiculously hot.

She senses Logan watching her eyes as she cleans his wound with peroxide. Reaching for a tube of Neosporin, she dabs it onto the wound. She then covers the wound with a gauze square and secures it with white medical tape.

There are other scrapes on Logan's chest and stomach. Liam must have been wearing a ring. Veronica gently cleans each one with peroxide, and dabs each with Neosporin before moving up to his face.

She steadies his face with her left hand, cleaning his scrapes with her right.

_His eyes are so dark. Like a bottomless chasm - I could fall into them and never stop falling._

Logan's gaze intensifies, exerting an almost magnetic pull upon her.

_How easy would it be to close the distance and kiss him? If only he weren't Logan. And I wasn't Veronica. But he's always been this beautiful. How could I have forgotten?_

She isn’t even aware she’s leaning in to him, until he speaks.

"FYI, that U.S.T. thing Dick was talking about? This would be it." His smirk is on the nervous side of cocky.

Veronica pulls back quickly. "What are you talking about?"

_What in the hell had I been about to do? Tell me I hadn't been about to kiss him!_

"Never mind," Logan mumbles. "My turn."

"What?"

"Roll over onto your stomach, and take your shirt off."

"Excuse me?"

"You're all scratched up from that brick wall. There's some blood soaking through your shirt."

"Oh," she says, hesitantly. She looks Logan over, but he doesn’t appear to have an ulterior motive. Turning away, she pulls her shirt over her head and holds it to her chest, covering her bra. She gingerly lays down on her stomach, crossing her arms under her chin and turning her head to the right, where Logan now sits.

Veronica feels her skin breaking out into goose bumps, and it has nothing to do with being cold.

She watches him douse a cotton square with peroxide. As he begins cleaning her scrapes and scratches, a look of intense interest comes over his face.

"What?" Veronica asks.

"Nothing. I just like watching the bubbles."

Veronica uses her arm to hide her grin. Logan can go from grown man to little boy in five seconds flat.

When her scratches are clean, Logan begins dabbing Neosporin on them, carefully smoothing the excess into her skin.

Everywhere Logan's fingertips brush her skin, Veronica shivers.

"You're not used to being touched, are you?" Logan asks quietly, watching her intently.

"Not particularly," Veronica answers.

"That's a shame. The Lacrosse team needs to work on their foreplay skills," he teases, lightly running a fingertip up her spine.

Veronica nearly jumps out of her skin.

"You're such an ass," she laughs, despite herself.

Logan brushes his fingers along the inner curve of her waist, and Veronica trembles.

Logan chuckles softly.

_Even his laugh is affecting me._

"Now you're just doing it on purpose," Veronica accuses, lifting up on her elbows. "Well...as much as I'd like to remain here half naked and being groped…we need to go."

"You'd like to remain here half-naked and being groped?" Logan asks. "Might I also interest you in being all-naked and fondled?"

"Ugh!" Veronica says, sitting up and putting her shirt back on. She’s feeling a bit perverse, so she doesn’t bother turning her back. He deserves it after the way he’d just gotten her going...and it isn’t as if he’s never seen her in her bra before.

_But the last time, he wasn't looking at me like this…Oh hell!_

Logan turns away to put his own shirt back on.

_Even his back is hot! What the hell is wrong with me? Who even looks at backs?_

"Um…so I have an idea..." she starts.

 


	11. Day Three - Let's Go Back To the Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really love this chapter. Is it wrong to say that about my own writing? 
> 
> Duncan's section of this chapter is meant to be a legitimate flashback rather than the usual wacky dream imagery. Don't take this to mean that Duncan is awake. He is still very much out of it. Let's just think of this as a 'dreaming flashback'. 
> 
> I wrote his flashback before any of the others in this story - even ones posted earlier. So I used this as my 'backstory canon' for all other flashbacks.

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Interstate I20**  
**Somewhere in Texas**

 

The unchanging scenery outside of the window of the Explorer leads Logan to suspect he has been driving on a giant treadmill for the past two hours. Texas presents the same sandy brown earth as Arizona and New Mexico, with the occasional patches of green sprinkled at the side of the road. Every so often, Logan catches himself almost hypnotized, tracing the power lines with his eyes as they dip from one pole to the next, and has to force himself to look away.

His best friend Duncan sits in the passenger seat staring blankly off into space – dreaming of sugarplums, or dead sisters, or Veronica, or any one of a million possibilities.

_But probably not Shelly Pomroy._

Only the blowing of the air conditioning breaks the silence in the truck. Logan has always required constant stimulation, and the forced inactivity is making him stir crazy. He craves conversation. A good argument would be even better. He craves entertainment. He craved…something.

_Maybe Veronica?_

"So Duncan, plan on snapping out of it today?" He asks, surprised at the bitterness of his own voice. "I could really use the company."

Plucking his handy ink pen out of the blower vent, he twirls it through the fingers of his right hand.

"Come on D.K. Pull yourself together. This entire trip was about you - keeping you safe, alive and out of jail. You should at least wake up to thank me."

With a sigh, Logan turns on the stereo to break the stifling silence. He hit the scan button, listening with only half his attention as the radio cycles through country songs, religious music, and a particularly rousing accordion version of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'.

His thoughts keep returning to a pesky blonde detective. The past three days have been…interesting…to say the least. Although any true animosity he'd borne for Veronica had dissipated months earlier, never would he have predicted he would end up playing the role of her fiancé.

Thoughts of Veronica assault his senses – the feel of his lips touching her cheek, the sensation of her body sleeping snugly against him, the silky texture and subtle scent of her hair, the vision of her eyes locking onto his.

The words 'Neptune, California' issuing from the radio pulls Logan out of his reverie and back to the present.

 

**RADIO BROADCAST:**

**REPORTER:**  We're in Neptune, CA awaiting Kane Industries founder and CEO Jake Kane, who is scheduled to make a formal statement any moment now.

**DJ:**  What's the scene like there?

**REPORTER:**  To be honest, I would expect this kind of press turnout for the President of the United States, rather than the president of a software company.

**DJ:**   What is it about this story that captivates the nation so much?

**REPORTER:** (laughs)  In a word: Everything. We have a beautiful young girl and two handsome young men. As the product of America's favorite Hollywood marriage, we've watched Logan Echolls grow up from a bald and chubby infant to a somewhat troubled, but very charismatic young man. The country grieved with the Kane family when they lost their only daughter one year ago. Then we have the story of a brave young girl trying to take down drug dealers in her neighborhood…we have the organized crime…A daring rescue that went way too far…A restored friendship after a long estrangement...A Romeo and Juliet – if stories are true about the feud between the Kanes and the Mars…Or a love triangle, if those stories are true…and overlying it all is the ghost of the enigmatic Lilly Kane.

Okay, Jake Kane has arrived with his wife Celeste. An extremely tall African American man, who appears to be a friend of the family, accompanies them.

[Several seconds of silence pass while Jake Kane prepares to speak.]

**JAKE KANE:**  I would like to thank everybody for being here today. I have prepared a statement, however, we are declining to answer questions today. I ask that you respect the wishes of my wife and myself and refrain from asking any.

[Several more seconds of silence pass.]

**JAKE KANE:**  We sincerely regret the tragic events that occurred three days ago, and would like to offer our condolences to the mother of Ciaran Fitzpatrick for her loss. Regardless of the violent act that Mr. Fitzpatrick was committing at his time of death, we unfortunately, understand the unbearable pain of losing a child.

**JAKE KANE:**  I would like to start by saying that my son Duncan is a great kid. He is kind, well mannered, down-to-earth, and has never been in trouble a day in his life. He plays sports, and was 2-time all-league soccer. He's editor of the Neptune Navigator. He has a 3.924 grade point average. He's in the National Honor Society and is a National Merit semi-finalist. With all of those accomplishments, there is one thing about my son that nobody knows.

**JAKE KANE:** (taking an audible breath) :    Duncan suffers from Temporal Lobe Epilepsy*. Recurrent episodes of aggression are a rare, but well-documented problem in patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, and are referred to as 'Episodic Discontrol Syndrome'. After studying the original video footage with experts, we believe that Duncan was suffering from a complex partial seizure at the time of the incident. These seizures can affect the temporal lobe that produces inappropriate behavior such as swearing, hysterical laughter, and violent outbursts. We believe that Duncan's seizure was brought on by witnessing the attempted rape of his first girlfriend, Veronica. Duncan has suffered from these types of seizures several times in the past, but it was being successfully managed with medication. After counting Duncan's remaining pills, we believe he stopped taking his medication almost a week ago.

**JAKE KANE:**  When my daughter Lilly died, Duncan lapsed into a catatonic state that lasted for four days. After studying the community park's video footage, we believed that Duncan lapsed into a similar state immediately following the incident of three days ago. The footage shows him staring unblinkingly and rhythmically rocking. He exhibited these same behaviors during his previous bout of catatonia. Three days ago when my wife and myself saw him in Logan's vehicle, he did not acknowledge our existence.

**JAKE KANE:**  It is our belief that Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars took Duncan away in a misguided attempt to protect him from prosecution. I hesitate to call it kidnapping – We have known Logan since he was five, Veronica since…her entire life. They are both like family to us, but Duncan did not have the presence of mind to make that decision for himself.

**JAKE KANE:**  Logan, Veronica, if you're listening, I'm sure you think you're doing what's best for Duncan. However, you are not. Duncan needs to come home immediately so that he can get the medical attention he requires. I beg you to bring Duncan home, or at the least, drop him off at a hospital so that he can receive medical care.

**JAKE KANE:**  That is all I have for you today. Thank you for attending.

**REPORTER:**  It looks like Jake Kane is sticking to his word about not taking any questions.

[Reporters yell questions in the background: "Mr. Kane, tell us about your feud with Keith Mars." "Mr. Kane was Ciaran Fitzpatrick connected to your daughter's murder?" "Mr. Kane, is it true that Duncan and Veronica have reunited and are dating again?"]

**REPORTER:** Oh, wait! He's heading back to the podium.

**JAKE KANE:**  I will answer only the one question. My son and Veronica Mars are NOT dating again. Veronica is dating Logan Echolls. They admitted it to me themselves when I talked to them at my home right before they fled town. Thanks again for being here today.

**REPORTER:**   Jake Kane and his entourage have left the building. Back to you, Sam.

 

After stabbing the power button off – more brutally than strictly necessary – Logan pauses for a moment, praying that when he turns his head, he’ll find Duncan looking back at him with clear, intelligent eyes.

Had the sound of his Jake's voice infiltrated through Duncan's fog? Will his friend be alert and ready to do his part on this journey?

He glances at Duncan, and returns his attention to the road bitter with disappointment.

"Did you hear, Dunc? Your father just branded Ronnie and me as kidnappers. He wants us to bring you home. Unfortunately, no can do. They think your legal defense is all tied up in a bow, but you need a completely different type of defense."

_Defense against crazy Irish meth heads._

"And epilepsy? What did he call it? Temporal lobe epilepsy?" He sighs.  _Could things get any worse?_ "Why didn't you ever tell me, man? I wouldn't have judged you. I would have at least thought to grab your meds before we left."  _Possibly. Where do they keep his prescriptions? The bathroom? The kitchen?_

Logan shivers and turns off the A.C. Even at the lowest setting, he imagines were he to cup his hands, he would see his breath. He’s always preferred to be warm.

"I'm kind of surprised your family let your 'dirty little secret' out. I guess this means they've prioritized your defense over forcing you into the White House. This is good, right?"

On the side of the road, a strange animal resembling a giant potato bug catches his eye. He raises an eyebrow.  _Only in Texas._

"Speaking of dirty little secrets…Don't you think it's odd how your father rushed back up to the podium to insist that you hadn't reunited with Veronica after he'd already finished his statement? Why would he do that?"

_Is he afraid of the public believing that Duncan is dating Veronica? Or does he want the world to believe Veronica is with me, and if so, how does that benefit the Kanes? No, that doesn't feel right. At the Kane house, when I claimed to be Veronica's boyfriend, he'd looked…as if he didn't love the idea...as if she were lowering herself, like Lilly had._

Logan rolls down the window to cycle out the stale air and let in the fresh. For the briefest moment, he catches the ghost of Veronica's perfume and inhales.

"Your dad doesn't want you with Veronica, does he? The week you broke up, you were brought in to the hospital kicking and screaming Veronica's name, and they had to straight jacket you to calm you down. Then, later the same week, I had to pull you off your father before you could strangle him."

Logan's eyes roam the front of the truck momentarily…searching…until falling upon Veronica's black hoodie hanging from the back of Duncan's seat - which he deftly snatches up before returning his attention to the road.

"You know what I think? I think he forced you to dump her. Didn't he? What kind of leverage could he have over you to possibly force you to give up Veronica Mars?"

Keeping his eyes on the highway, Logan buries the lower half of his face in the hoodie and breathes in.  _Yes…this is where the scent came from._  Promises. The only perfume he had ever known Veronica to wear – the slightest whiff of which does crazy things to his heart. In fact, months ago, while at the mall to pick up Final Fantasy XI, a girl had literally led him around by the nose. When he'd stepped in line behind her at Orange Julius, her scent instantly had him on alert. Within moments, he had identified the perfume, and a moment later, he made the connection to Veronica. After being handed her drink, the girl – an average-in-every-possible-way brunette – walked away, and Logan found himself missing the scent - wanting to smell it again. He'd searched until he'd located her – walking slowly past Victoria's Secret, pretending not to be interested in the merchandise inside – and fell in behind her, keeping pace with her at a speed uncomfortably slow for his long legs. He’d followed, allowing images of Veronica to worm their way into his consciousness – memories of her the way she used to be and visions of her the way she was now. After several minutes, when the girl's posture stiffened and her eyes lingered on his reflection in the shop windows, he realized how crazy he must appear and turned away. He stopped at Macy's en route to his truck and purchased the smallest-sized bottle of Promises. The perfume had been tucked in his top dresser drawer ever since, next to a small bottle of Lilly's perfume – how Lilly would have loved that.

He’s glad Veronica hadn't changed her perfume when she'd changed her hair and clothing and shoes. Somehow, the scent fits perfectly with both versions of Veronica – the dark, cynical new Veronica, and the more optimistic Veronica from years past.

Logan stares at the horizon for a moment, takes a deep breath, and then speaks again. "I almost kissed her, Duncan. Well technically, she was about to kiss me, and I had no intention of stopping her."

Duncan doesn’t respond.

"I did stop her. At the last second. I made some stupid comment and she came to her senses, but the thing is, this keeps happening. Every time I turn around, we're on the verge of kissing."

He takes his eyes off the road to search Duncan's face for any reaction: an eye twitch, a clenched jaw? Murderous rage, perhaps? Nothing.

"I'm talking about Veronica Mars here, DK. The girl you" -We- "have loved since Junior High. Doesn't that make you mad enough to wake up?"

"It's obvious you still love her. You need to wake up Duncan, and fight for her," Logan says, shaking Duncan's shoulder. "Fight for her, or I'm going to take her from you."

Duncan does not clench his fists. He doesn’t strike Logan over the head with a blunt object. His arms hang limply at his sides, his fingers slack.

_Not like I stand a chance in hell with Veronica, but Duncan would believe I do. Anything to get him to check back in._

"What do you think, Duncan? Bet you want to wake up and kick my ass, dontcha?"

"Do it, Duncan." Logan yells. "Wake up and kick my ass for thinking about stealing your dream girl."

Logan drives in silence for several minutes remembering Veronica as she had been at the motel, stretched out on her stomach in her bra while he'd cleaned her scrapes. While he'd run his fingers along her rose petal soft skin.

"You should have seen the way she responded to being touched, DK. She practically trembled everywhere my fingers brushed her skin. Nobody touches her anymore. She's not used to it. She seemed as if she...I don't know...craved it?"

He buries his nose in the hoodie, managing to keep his eyes on the road.

"And I want to touch her again, Duncan. I want to run my fingers all over that white skin. Down her arms. Up her legs. Over her stomach. I want to make her shiver some more, and I want to look into her eyes while I do it."

One more glance at Duncan confirms what he'd expected. Not even the controversial statement he'd just made are enough to bust him out of his fog. He replaces the hoodie to where he'd found it and reached for the stack of CD's Veronica had picked out at Target, flipping through them several times before making a selection. He inserted The Killers CD.

"Duncan, you need to wake up and stop me. Stake your claim. Mark your territory. Do whatever you have to do."

He rubs at the back of his head, his voice dropping in level and confidence, sounding dejected. "I...uh...I'm still not good enough for her - even this 'darker' version of her…So if you still love her at all, you'll wake up to keep her out of my clutches. I'm kind of despicable, DK. I've hurt her, started rumors about her, destroyed her property and I don't even regret doing it. I enjoyed doing it. Veronica needs somebody like you."

"She needs the cowboy, not the outlaw."

After another minute of thought, Logan chuckles. "Who am I kidding? She's no helpless damsel. She's an outlaw like me."

_She used to be so much like Duncan. Now she is a lot more like me. Vengeful, cynical, dark._

"Well...I guess we're all outlaws now. Fine Duncan, your loss. You're only going to have yourself to blame when I…"

_When I what?_

"But first...we need to find her."

He laughs bitterly when "Mr. Brightside" comes on, and cranks up the volume. Somebody will be painfully identifying with this song before this is all over.

He just isn’t sure which one to root for.

_Bullshit._

"You know what? Fuck that, Duncan! Fuck everything I just said. Yeah, I want you to wake up, and if you want to hit me, that's fine. I'll welcome it. But don't you dare fight for her. You had your chance, and you fucking blew it. I might not deserve her, but you don't either, anymore, so don't' think I'm going to step aside so easily this time."

 

* * *

**Flashback – August, 2000 – October, 2003**  
**Duncan**

 

_Duncan is twelve – almost thirteen – when he first meets Veronica Mars. His mom, driving away in her Jag to stay at the Napa house for the weekend, has for once, loosened her choke hold on him enough to allow him to stay home with his father._

_Taking advantage of her absence, Duncan is guiding his remote-control helicopter through the upstairs hallway. His steady hands and unwavering focus allow him to navigate the corners and straights without ever touching the walls. The steady hum of the blades relax him as he experiments with flying near the ceiling, and then near the floor. Having mastered high flying, he attempts to fly evenly with the chair rail. He is so engrossed in manipulating the chopper's controls, that he doesn't hear Lilly's bedroom door open. He doesn't even register her presence in the hallway until she is screaming at him._

_" What the hell, you stupid freak?" she shrieks._

_" Sorry, Lil, I didn't know you were—" he starts._

_" You could have ripped all of my hair out with that thing."_

_Duncan wants to point out that her hair was in no danger. He hadn't been flying high enough, but she is already storming off down the hallway. He turns to watch her go, evaluating different options for earning her forgiveness. So absorbed is he in his thoughts, that the sound of a voice behind him startles him and causes him to jump._

_"You shouldn't let her speak to you that way."_

_Duncan turns to face the speaker. A tiny girl even smaller than Lilly, stands with her hands on her hips. Her long, golden blond hair drapes freely on her pink and green striped polo, while her blue-green eyes regard him stubbornly._

_"Who are you?" he asks, amused._

_"Veronica. Veronica Mars." She reaches for Duncan's hand and gives it a firm shake. "And you're Duncan Kane, obviously."_

_"Lilly's best friend?"_

_" The one and only," she answers, proudly._

_So this was the elusive Veronica Mars. He has been hearing about her since he was seven, but today is his first time meeting her in the flesh. He would wonder if Lilly had made her up if he hadn't heard his parents arguing about her before. For some reason, his mother disapproves of the friendship and does not want Veronica at the house. His father, on the other hand, insists that Lilly and Veronica should be friends and spend as much time as they want together. He always chauffeurs them on their outings._

_Duncan hasn't had any school exposure to Veronica either. That will change in the fall when he transfers to the public middle school. It's been an ordeal getting his parents to agree to withdraw him from the exclusive private school he's been attending since kindergarten, but with Logan now expelled for that firecracker incident, Duncan has no desire to go back. Lilly has attended public school for years - ever since being thrown out of Wellington - so why shouldn't he? Logan has been working on his parents to buy a house inside Neptune City limits, so with any luck, they will be able to attend Neptune Middle School together. Duncan isn't holding his breath – how does a kid ever convince his parents to move? – but Logan thinks if he plays on Aaron's 'fatherly guilt', the chances are good that he'll soon be an official Neptune resident. Duncan doesn't want to think about what school would be like without Logan to help him navigate the social conventions. Duncan never quite understands what people want from him - he would probably be a loner if it weren't for Logan._

_Veronica is speaking to him again, and he shakes himself out of his thoughts to pay attention._

_" She treats you like that because you allow her to," she's saying._

_" She'd be angry at you if she heard you say that," he warns._

_"No she wouldn't. She respects me because I don't pander to her. If she acts like a bitch, I call her on it. You should too. She respects people she can't push around."_

_Duncan smiles nervously at Veronica. "It's not worth it. Lilly can be pretty intense when she's angry."_

_"She's your sister, not your parent. Treat her with the respect she earns." Her stare is direct and unnerving, and all of a sudden, Duncan wants to be the guy she's urging him to be._

_Lilly returns to the hallway, and Duncan tenses up. So much for good intentions._

_"Ugh, Veronica. Why are you talking to him?"_

_"Because I'm in his home, because he's being perfectly nice to me, and to make up for you acting like a complete bitch." Veronica answers with a smile._

_Lilly grins back. "So you think I should be nicer to the Donut?"_

_"You don't realize how lucky you are to have a sibling," Veronica says. "It sucks being an only child."_

_"Okay, Veronica. I'll behave. Donut, you want to hang out with us while we try on make-up?" The wicked gleam in her eyes warns him to decline - or else._

_"I...um...better get going. It was a pleasure meeting you, Veronica."_

_"You too Duncan." Veronica smiles back._

 

_Duncan thinks about Veronica constantly in the weeks to follow. He has never known anybody – besides Logan – brave enough to stand up to Lilly. Plus, he has never met a cuter girl._

_Duncan has never had a girlfriend, and up until now, he's never wanted one. Not that he hasn't had any offers – he's Logan Echolls' best friend after all. Several girls – realizing that Logan is never going to bring them chocolate and draw their names in a heart on his notebooks – have turned their eyes to his kind and soft-spoken best friend. Duncan politely brushes-off each of them, claiming a mystery girlfriend in Neptune, while Logan shakes his head in disappointment._

_" What is your deal, DK? You could have at least gotten a b.j. out of her," Logan asks him, as if he's crazy._

_Duncan shudders at the idea of ever letting somebody do something so…nasty…to him. How can he explain it to Logan? He likes girls. In fact, he really likes Hillary Duff and Kirsten Storms. But he doesn't like the girls at his school. He's not looking to earn sexual experience. He wants a nice girl who won't rush into anything._

_The girls at the Donovan Wellington Academy – already bored and jaded at twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old – have traded in their innocence. They all carry the latest handbags. They all wear the finest shoes with their uniforms. In a world where daddy's money can buy them almost anything, the only thing left to compete for is male attention – and Logan Echolls is at the top of the food chain._

_Veronica Mars, on the other hand, has an innocence to her eyes that Duncan cannot help but be drawn to. This is the kind of girl who wouldn't ridicule him if he only wanted to hold hands for a while until he was more comfortable._

_Two minutes in a hallway with Veronica tells Duncan that she carries herself with a down-to-earth ease, and she is not afraid to laugh at herself. The girls at school walk around with – to quote Logan – gold-plated sticks up their asses._

_While his schoolmates would crush someone at the mere sign of weakness, Veronica stuck up for him to Lilly when she didn't have to. This tells Duncan that she – like him – is the type to champion an underdog. He thinks they would fit very well together._

_He just cannot get her out of his thoughts._

_It's a month before school begins. Logan has managed to pull off his miracle - one week ago, the Echolls family closed on an estate only a five-minute bike ride from Duncan's house. Logan will be attending public school with him. Duncan is excited at the prospect of hanging out more often. Logan is excited because he has already worked his way through the girls at Wellington, and public school brings a whole new dating pool._

_Logan is over playing video games when Jake comes in to remind Duncan of his soccer game._

_" You need a lift home?" he asks Logan._

_Logan gives a half-shudder at the idea of going home. "Um...no, Mr. Kane, would you mind if I came along with you? I can sit on the stands and while Duncan plays."_

_Jake is fine with that, but suggests Logan might want to borrow one of Duncan's short-sleeved shirts._

_" It is August out there," he jokes._

_Logan thanks him for the offer, but declines the loan of a shirt._

_They arrive at the community park a bit early, so a game is still in progress - girls' soccer._

_Duncan sits on the team bench to lace on his cleats, pulling and adjusting the laces until the fit is perfect. When he looks back up, Logan is staring mesmerized at the field. Amused at the idea that anything could captivate his cynical friend, Duncan follows the path of Logan's eyes, coming to rest on a tiny blonde dynamo in pigtails that appears to be doing all of the work on her team._

_Veronica Mars._

_All amusement fades from Duncan's face as a sensation of dread forms in the pit of his stomach. There is no way he can compete with Logan. Logan has already done things with girls. Sexual things. Duncan barely works up the nerve to speak to them._

_For several minutes, Duncan stands next to Logan, in silence. He sees, but does not process what is happening on the field, as his awareness keeps returning to Logan, whose eyes are riveted intently on Veronica. For once, Logan is not narrating a perverted play-by-play culminating with all of the girls ripping their shirts off in victory and rolling around together in the mud. Logan is not ranking the girls by chest size, or legs, or butt. This in itself is newsworthy. The fact that Logan is not fidgeting is astonishing. Logan is absolutely still and utterly absorbed with Veronica._

_As the game ends, Logan steps back and affects an air of nonchalance. Duncan isn't fooled. He knows Logan well enough to sense how keyed-up he is._

_Logan shifts, as if to take a step in Veronica's direction, and then hesitates, sinking back on his heels. Duncan would laugh if he weren't dying on the inside._

_Veronica walks right past them, and again, Logan's posture shifts as if to go after her. He hesitates, and then, as if he's worked up his resolve, lifts a foot to step towards her._

_Veronica turns around._

_"Duncan Kane," she says, approaching with a smile. "Almost didn't recognize you without the helicopter."_

_"Veronica Mars." He smiles back._

_Veronica, in her soccer uniform, is covered with mud. It splatters her legs, her arms, and even her face, but she is still the prettiest girl Duncan has ever known. He can feel his cheeks warming, but Veronica doesn't notice. She's turned her attention to Logan, and is examining him with interest._

_"Who's your friend?" she asks, without looking away from Logan._

_"Veronica Mars, Logan Echolls." Duncan says, praying that the car-crash sound of his breaking heart isn't audible._

_Veronica reaches out and firmly shakes his hand, while Logan Silvertongue Echolls seems to be tongue-tied for the first time in his life._

_"Oh. As in Aaron Echolls?" Veronica asks in a sympathetic, sucks-to-be-you tone of voice._

_"You're not a fan of Mr. Echolls?" Duncan asks, surprised. Veronica's eyes return to Duncan, missing the expression of pure adoration that settles over Logan's face._

_"Uh...Let's just say I prefer actors with a bit more...subtlety."_

_She turns back to Logan. "Your father tends to over-emote." Veronica shrugs apologetically._

_Logan finally finds his tongue. "Marry me," he demands, a shy grin on his face._

_Veronica laughs in delight at his shamelessness. "How about you ask me again in about...oh...ten more years."_

_" Count on it," Logan replies with a cheeky grin, his charm returning in full force._

_Veronica laughs again. "Welcome to Neptune. I'd heard you were moving here."_

_"Thank you."_

_" So, have you learned your way around the town yet?"_

_" No." Logan looks terribly put-out. "They tried to send me some tall, leggy brunette tour guide, when I specifically requested an itty-bitty blonde with knee socks and a muddy face. The nerve of some people!"_

_Veronica groans and rolls her eyes. "Hmm…that sounds suspiciously like somebody I know. Shall I have my dad drive you around in the back of a cop car?"_

_" Only if you come too."_

_" And if I were to wash my face?"_

_" Deal-breaker." Logan winks at her. "So, dad's a cop?"_

_" Dad's the sheriff," she corrects with a grin._

_" Well then, I'm sure he and I will become well acquainted." Logan smirks._

_Duncan cries on the inside. He had thought she was different, but here she was, falling for the Echolls charm like every other girl. "But this is different," he corrects himself, "Because for the first time, Logan is falling for the girl as well."_

_" Are you planning to join us today, Duncan?" his coach calls out._

_" Sure. Be right there," he answers._

_" So…I…guess I'll talk to you in a bit," he says. Logan and Veronica barely even register his departure._

_Duncan came here to play a game, so he is forced to leave Casanova alone with the only girl he has ever wanted._

_He watches them walking together towards the bleachers, Veronica laughing as Logan clowns around. He watches Logan lead her up the bleachers, hand on her back. He watches them laugh, flirt, and…bond? He does all of this watching of Logan and Veronica, while he is supposed to be watching the ball. His team members are beginning to get annoyed, but there will always be other games. There is only one Veronica Mars._

_Somehow, Duncan's team manages to pull off a win despite his lack of effort, and he joins Logan and Veronica on the sidelines. Logan notices Duncan's approach and appears to be studying Duncan's face._

_"Looks like my mom's finally here. I better get going," Veronica says. "Great game, Duncan. And nice meeting you, Logan. You are so much more than I expected."_

_"More what?" Logan looks down at Veronica with his heart in his eyes._

_"Just...more." She touches Logan's arm and smiles up at him, eyes shining, before walking away._

_Duncan glances at Logan._

_"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Logan asks, his eyes locked on Veronica's retreating form._

_"Yes," Duncan answers quietly. He’d experienced it himself weeks earlier with the same girl. Now he has lost all hope. She obviously feels some kind of spark for Logan._

_"So...you're going to ask her to be your girlfriend?"_

_Logan takes forever to answer. "No," he says finally._

_"No?" Duncan asks, perplexed. "I thought you were talking about Veronica with that love at first sight question?"_

_"I was, but it doesn't matter. I can't go out with her."_

_When he doesn't elaborate, Duncan has to ask, "Why not?"_

_"She's too good for me, man," Logan says._

_"How can you say that?" Duncan asks. "All of the girls want to be with you. You even made out with Lisa Loper at your dad's party. She's like the hottest teen star ever."_

_"Don't bring up Lisa Loper again." Logan's voice is ice cold._

_" Um…why? You were the one who told me about it." Duncan is confused._

_" Just forget about it. I have."_

_" But how is Veronica too good for you?"_

_Logan sighs. "Veronica Mars – even covered in mud – is shiny and clean and pure. Remember when I went out with Taylor Spencer last year?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Remember what she was like before I dated her?"_

_"Sweet, innocent, kind of like Veronica." Duncan says, remembering the pretty transfer student, as she was when she'd first arrived at Wellington._

_"And after I dated her?"_

_"She's just like all of the other girls now. Kind of slutty. I've heard rumors that she gives handys at lunch in the woods." Duncan admits._

_"Yeah. I did that to her. Not the rumors, but the sluttiness. I hurt her when I broke up with her, and she starting trying to make me jealous with other guys. Same with Ally Maine. I ruin everything I touch," Logan says._

_Duncan has never seen Logan like this before. The Logan he knows has a devil-may-care spirit. He doesn't show regret over the girls. He doesn't show regret over anything. He takes what he wants, consequences-be-damned. But Duncan senses that something has been bothering Logan for weeks._

_Ever since he got out of the hospital for that four-wheeler accident..._

_"You can't mean that," Duncan says. "You don't ruin things. Well…there was that firecracker thing, but…"_

_"It's true. If I tried to go out with Veronica, I would corrupt her and ruin everything that makes her so perfect. Does that make sense to you?"_

_He kind of agrees with Logan, but shakes his head in the negative._

_"I decided after Taylor to only go out with girls that come to me pre-corrupted. I don't want to be responsible for messing up any more girls."_

_"Logan?"_

_"I'm not good like you are, Duncan. Well, it doesn't matter. It's obvious you have a thing for her too. You're the guy she should be with. Not me."_

_Duncan freezes. He thought he'd done so well hiding his jealousy._

_"I'm that obvious?"_

_"You won the game, but came off the field looking like somebody kicked your puppy. Looking like  I   kicked your puppy. What else could it be?"_

_The weight on Duncan's chest eases. Logan's not going to swoop in and take Veronica._

_The weight on his chest returns. Duncan has often felt inferior in his life, and doesn't like the idea of Logan suffering from the same pain. How can Logan possibly think he's not good enough for her?_

_"Logan, you should go out with her. If you're so worried about corrupting her, then you should just try really hard not to do it."_

_Logan smiles sadly. "It's not that simple. We're on completely different levels. I'm too old for my age. She's too young. Just sitting there next to her, she was like this…bright light of perfection, and I'm like this dark cloud of dirty. All I could see was me contaminating her."_

_The two boys have been best friends since kindergarten, but he suddenly wonders if he has ever really known the real Logan._

_The Logan Duncan knows is reckless and immature, and too confident for his own good. He doesn't acknowledge – let alone dwell – on the feelings of others._

_The Logan he's speaking to right now is self-aware and truthful, regretful, and old beyond his years. Something about his words comes across as too ingrained to be newly hatched thoughts._

_This isn't a shift in Logan's attitude, this is a shift in Logan's mask. A mask that Duncan never even knew existed until now._

_" You wouldn't," Duncan answers unconvincingly._

_" It came up while we were talking, how many people have hit on me, and she looked completely repulsed. Imagine if she knew that some have had varying degrees of success. Thanks to dear old dad." He looks off into the distance for a moment, disgust plainly written across his features._

_" Logan! Stop!" Duncan interrupts. Logan has often complained of being the target of Aaron's "spillover". It's not a conversation Duncan enjoys taking part in._

_" See? It even weirds you out. I should feel like a complete badass for having experience with girls, but I'd trade it all to be on the same wavelength as that one girl." He stops for a moment, clearly surprised at his own admission. "…There's just something about her..." He looks wistful as he stares at the last place he'd seen Veronica before she'd driven away with her mother._

_" Yeah..." Duncan agrees. "Something about her."_

_Logan snaps out of his daze and looks at Duncan again. "You, on the other hand, are completely on her level._

_" Logan—"_

_" You've rejected every single girl who has ever shown any interest in you. I was beginning to worry, to be honest. But FINALLY, there's a girl who you like. I can't stand in the way of that."_

_" The same goes for you, Logan…" Just because Logan has gone out with a lot of girls, doesn't mean he actually liked them very much._

_" Ask her out, Duncan"_

_" I can't…" Duncan starts._

_" You can. And do it quickly, before I forget that I want to be a nice guy for once."_

 

_Several weeks have passed since that day at the community park. By silent agreement, Duncan and Logan have not discussed Veronica since. Celeste is at the Napa house again, and when Duncan invites Logan over, he has no idea that Lilly is having Veronica over to celebrate her birthday._

_Duncan comes outside with a tray of drinks, to find Veronica and Logan sitting together with their feet in the pool. Diagonally across the pool from them, he can see their faces in the otherworldly glow from the underwater pool lights, and he hesitates to interrupt, watching the scene play out from the shadows._

_Veronica wears cut-off jean shorts and a pale green tee-shirt with a cartoon frog on it. Her hair is back in pigtails again. She's speaking, and Logan is grinning at her as if she were the only girl in the world, but Duncan can't hear her words as they're drowned-out by the fan on the central air unit he's standing near._

_Logan says something, and it must be a compliment because Veronica is looking up at him shyly from under her lashes biting her lip. She shakes her head to deny, and Logan grins and nods his head to reaffirm his statement. He says something else, teasingly, and she's smiling again._

_Their body language mirrors each other, both with their hands planted on the pool deck near their knees, four fingers curled around the edge of the pool. Duncan notices how both of them secretly extend their pinky fingers towards each other, hoping for contact. He watches Veronica's pinky inch closer to Logan's. She stills for a moment, as Logan tells her something using his other hand to illustrate his point. She smirks and rolls her eyes at whatever he says, and then resumes inching her finger closer. He watches the moment when her pinky closes the distance, 'accidentally' brushing up against Logan's. They both respond as if jolted, Logan inhaling sharply, and Veronica's mystified eyes flicking up to his in question._

_In response, Logan curls his finger around hers in an intimate version of a pinky swear. It's not exactly holding hands, but it's an acknowledgement that there is something there between them._

_Their eyes play out a similar conversation: question, acknowledgement, satisfaction. Veronica looks down at her lap, a grin of happiness that she cannot quite contain playing at the corners of her lips. Logan mirrors her expression, gazing off into space. Duncan cannot swallow. The lump in his throat is too painful. It's obvious to him that these two belong together. He just wishes Logan hadn't given him any hope. He feels like he's lost her twice now._

_Veronica's eyes raise and appear to lock on to Logan's. The tension becomes almost tangible, and this time it is Logan who looks down shyly. Duncan has never seen Logan be anything other than self-assured around girls. Veronica really must have gotten to him. Logan leans in, touches his forehead to Veronica's and says something and suddenly they're both cracking up. Laughing, Logan lifts a hand to brush an escaped strand of hair off Veronica's face, fingers lingering on her cheek. Veronica's eyes are soft and accepting of Logan's touch. His fingers slide down her face to nudge her chin up._

_Duncan needs to get the hell out of here. This is obviously a mating dance that he has no business observing. But he hesitates._

_As Logan begins leaning towards her, Veronica's eyelids flutter closed._

_Duncan's stomach cramps up. Should he casually set down Veronica's lemonade as if it's no big deal, or spin around and take off before they notice his presence?_

_Too late. Logan catches Duncan in his peripheral vision and looks up. The expression lingering in his eyes – as if he were looking at something rare and precious – fades, to be replaced by an expression of guilt and misery. He opens his mouth as if to say something and then closes it again, clearly frustrated. He jumps up and stalks off without a goodbye._

_Approaching, Duncan hands Veronica her glass of lemonade and together they watch Logan walk away._

_"Why'd Logan run off like that? I thought we were becoming fr—"Veronica trails off abruptly, and Duncan doesn't have to wonder why._

_Logan is passing Lilly on her way out to join them, and without even seeming to think, he grabs her by the wrist, yanks her to him, and shoves his tongue in her mouth. Lilly seems to resist for maybe a millisecond before enthusiastically joining him in the kiss._

_When Duncan remembers to think, he turns back to Veronica to witness the devastation evident on her face. Her eyes are shiny and one tear runs down her cheek. He knew he hadn't imagined Veronica's feelings for Logan. She really likes him._

_Happy Freaking Birthday, Veronica Mars. Welcome to Logan Echolls' world._

_Now Logan has put Duncan in a very awkward position. He wants to cheer Veronica up. He wants to tell her that she's the one Logan really wants, if only to make her smile again. But that is the last thing Logan wants him to do, and now Lilly is involved. If he tells Veronica the truth to cheer her up, Lilly will feel hurt and used. The only thing Duncan can do is to pretend not to have seen her devastation. In fact, the tear has been brushed away, and her face is carefully schooled to a blank mask._

_Nice birthday present, Logan, you ass. She was expecting her first kiss, and instead you gave her her first broken heart._

_He considers the implications of Logan kissing Lilly. Is it a one-time thing? It seems spur of the moment. Will he want to date her now? If Veronica is too good for Logan, what is he trying to say about Lilly? If Logan wrecks everything he touches, why is he touching Duncan's sister? Should he object? Defend his sister? Inside, Duncan hates to admit that Lilly does indeed fit into the 'already corrupted' category. Duncan has caught her more than once, making out with the pool boy. He's even laughed about it with Logan. Will Lilly even want to start something up with Logan? He is hardly scandalous enough to piss off Celeste. Should he encourage a relationship so that the four of them can spend more time together?_

_Duncan's fears for Lilly turn out to be unnecessary. In the days he spends debating with himself as to whether he approves or objects to Logan and Lilly, they somehow become a real couple. At first, Logan seems to be martyring himself for Veronica's sake. Eventually, Logan genuinely falls in love with Lilly. So what if he occasionally catches Logan's eyes following Veronica a little longer than necessary, Duncan knows his best friend is devoted to his sister._

_For Veronica's part, she smiles and pretends to be happy for the couple, but in her unguarded moments, Duncan can see her sadness. She has every right to be hurt and confused. Although Logan hadn't made her any promises, Duncan has personally witnessed him – more than once – looking at Veronica as if she were the answer to his every prayer. How was she supposed to react to that?_

_Duncan knows he isn't Veronica's first choice, so he can't seem to bring himself to ask her out. He cannot get past the idea that the minute he makes a move, Logan will realize what he's been missing out on all along. It's ridiculous, of course. Lilly has Logan completely wrapped around her finger. Logan treats Veronica like a teasing, annoying older brother - despite the fact that she's older by several months._

_However, right before they begin their freshman year of high school, he begins to notice a change between them. Veronica is again looking at Logan with a resigned sadness when she thinks she's not being observed. Logan has recently reunited with Lilly for the hundredth time, but Duncan catches him looking at Veronica with regret in his eyes on more than one occasion. Something shifts in Duncan. Second choice or not, if he doesn't make a move soon, he will never have a shot with Veronica._

_When he finally asks Veronica out, her enthusiastic agreement surprises him. It's as if she has been waiting for him to ask her. Has Logan clued her in?_

_Veronica is his first kiss. He is hers. It is sweet and innocent and pure, and he thinks she is the most perfect girl he has ever known. He knows he never wants to kiss another._

_The first time Logan comes across Duncan kissing Veronica, he looks as if he has been punched in the gut. His face exhibits hurt and jealousy and betrayal. He covers it quickly, but not in time for Duncan to un-see it. He has been pushing Duncan to ask Veronica out ever since they met. What does he expect? He has Lilly. He can't have them both! Still, Duncan can't help but feel a little guilty. And guilty for feeling guilty. He's been in love with this girl since he met her. He's done nothing wrong._

_Other than that initial glimpse of his jealousy, Logan is supportive of Duncan's relationship with Veronica. Lilly is not. She thinks Veronica can do better. Veronica quickly puts her in her place. Tells her that her opinion on the matter is neither wanted nor welcome. Lilly smirks. She loves how her friend stands up to her, but she still doesn't give up on her idea of replacing Duncan with a more suitable guy for Veronica. Duncan has the feeling that Lilly already has a candidate in mind, but she refuses to confirm or deny._

_Veronica as a girlfriend is sweet and thoughtful. She instinctively knows when Duncan is sad, or nervous, or anxious, and knows exactly how to cheer him up and give him strength. They have so much in common that they literally never argue._

_When Duncan imagines a perfect future, he sees a small cottage on the beach with a dog like Molly, surfing the morning away and making a living doing something creative with his hands – maybe carving driftwood or making surfboards. Were he to be a little more realistic, he could see himself as a surgeon – again, doing precision work with his steady hands._

_But Duncan Kane doesn't have the luxury of choosing his own future. As long as he's existed, he's been being groomed for the White House. Other kids – even Lilly – can come home with B's on their report cards. For Duncan, nothing less than an A is acceptable. Other kids play baseball in the summer. Duncan has Mock U.N. His parents put nonstop pressure on him to achieve, achieve, achieve. He complies, but it's not his dream. He closes his eyes and tries to imagine himself in the Oval Office, but the images will not come._

_That all changes when Veronica comes into his life. With her by his side, it no longer feels like pressure. It feels like destiny. He will give his all, get perfect grades, join all of the perfect activities, and as a reward, someday he will be the President, and Veronica can be his First Lady - the most honored and revered woman in the country. If that is a gift he is capable of giving to her, he'll do it. Finally the images come. He can't do it for his father, and he certainly can't do it for himself, but he can do it for Veronica. He can do anything for Veronica._

_Duncan and Veronica have been together almost a year. Tonight, Lilly and Veronica are having a girl's night, and he's been kicked out of his own home._

_He's with Logan at Dick's guys-only party, and they are both wasted off their asses. Logan is talking about leaving, and Duncan is trying to take his keys away – patting down Logan's jacket and pants pockets. Logan isn't cooperating._

_" Dude, get your hands off of me. I don't like you that way." Logan snickers at his own joke._

_" I'm trying to get your keys."_

_" You can't have my keys."_

_" You're not driving, Logan." Casey comes up trying to help._

_Luke joins them. "Logan, give Duncan your keys."_

_" He can't have my keys. He can't have my truck. It's mine. He has everything. He has enough."_

_Casey laughs. "He doesn't want your truck Logan, his is better, anyway." He fishes Logan's car keys out his back pocket and tosses them to Duncan._

_" Gimme," Logan says turning to Duncan and holding out his hand, his eyes becoming angry._

_" Not happening, Logan."_

_Suddenly, Logan is right in his face, shouting. "You already have Veronica. What the fuck else do you want from me?"_

_Throwing his hands up dramatically, Logan takes a step back, snags a bottle of Jack off the counter, and storms off towards the pool area._

_In the awkward silence the follows his departure, every eye in the room turns to stare at Duncan._

_Finally, Dick says what's on everybody else's mind. "Dude, Logan totally wants to fuck your girlfriend." He ducks when Duncan throws Logan's car keys at his head and storms off after Logan._

_Duncan finds Logan sitting at the side of the pool with his feet in the water, and drops down next to him reaching for the bottle and taking a deep swig._

_" Sorry, man." Logan says after a minute. "That was totally fucked up of me."_

_"Do you regret not going after Veronica?" Duncan asks. His brain goes there all the time anyway, even without Logan making a scene._

_"Dude. I love your sister. We're perfectly matched."_

_"That wasn't an answer."_

_Logan shrugs, and Duncan presses him: "That game of Truth or Dare in the limo was a little too close for comfort. 'Hot' wasn't the word you used the first time you met Veronica, it was 'Love at first sight'."_

_Logan winces. "I know Veronica a lot better now."_

_"And?"_

_"And she's still sweet and pure. She's still a virgin."_

_"So? I'm not rushing her into anything." Duncan says defensively._

_"That's my point." Logan says. "No matter how dark things get, Veronica is always that ray of light that gives us hope that things will get better."_

_"Yeah..." Duncan nods, not sure where Logan is going with this._

_"And we keep her that way for a reason, Lilly and I. We shelter her from our dark sides. She doesn't know my deep dark secrets. Or Lilly's. Or...well I guess you don't have any dark secrets."_

_"Not really."_

_"If I'd gone after her, she wouldn't be the same, and she certainly wouldn't be a virgin. I would have dimmed her light, and she wouldn't be the Veronica we know and love."_

_"Or maybe she would have lit up your darkness."_

_Logan blows out a breath and rubs the back of his head. "...maybe..."_

_"You don't give Veronica enough credit for having a mind of her own." Duncan says. "I don't think you could have corrupted her like you think."_

_"Okay. Fine. You've convinced me. I'll go after Veronica, and we can test your theory." Logan says._

_"What? You can't go after my girlfriend!_

_"Then remember that the next time you try to convince me that it could have worked out. I. Love. Lilly. You. Love. Veronica. Logan/Lilly. Duncan/Veronica. Forever and ever. Now let's never have this discussion again, OK?"_

_"So you're saying you don't have feelings for Veronica?"_

_Logan hesitates._

_" I had feelings for Veronica. Then I started dating Lilly and fell in love with her." He make an 'and-that's-all-folks' gesture and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes._

_"Okay, I'll never bring it up again." Duncan laughs affably. Smiles. The liquor flowing through his veins has him feeling mellow. He loves Veronica. Logan doesn't. And they will never speak of it again._

_One week later, Lilly dumps Logan for the last time for kissing Yolanda._

_Two weeks later, Duncan learns that he is dating his half-sister. He does not want to give her up. He would rather die. He doesn't have a choice._

_Three weeks after that, his sister is dead._

_Duncan breaks._

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Somewhere in Texas**

 

Logan's worry is beginning to round the corner to full-scale panic – like dry mouth, racing heartbeat panic – when he notices a green speck on the horizon. Drawing closer, he lets out a sigh of relief when he confirms that it is indeed Liam Fitzpatrick's green Plymouth Barracuda parked on the shoulder, hood up.

He slows and pulls off the road behind the muscle car, putting the Explorer in park. By the time he climbs out of the truck, Veronica is out of the Barracuda.

"Need a ride, little girl?" He grins, arching an eyebrow.

Veronica's lower lip seems to quiver for a second, and then she runs to Logan and throws her arms around his neck. Surprised, Logan hesitates for a moment, and then closes his arms around her back, pulling her tightly against him.

"I missed you too, V," he teases, softly. Closing his eyes, he buries his face in her hair breathing in the scent of her coconut shampoo.

_Is she crying?_

They stand in silence for several minutes, Logan's hand rising to gently stroke Veronica's silky blonde hair. He realizes that, in all the years he’s known her, he's never comforted her before this trip.

She’s always been the one doing the comforting, the strong one, the one who doesn’t let anything get her down. They had all taken strength from her – himself, Lilly, and Duncan.

Now he wants to give something back.

Eventually, Veronica pulls back enough to study Logan's face. "I broke down about an hour ago. The Barracuda overheated," She says, sniffling, eyes red, but not crying. "I thought you weren't coming."

"Why wouldn't I come?" Logan asks, running his hand over the back of her head again.

"Well...I don't know..." Her eyes drop to focus on his chest. "Because you hate me, maybe? You finally had your opportunity to be rid of me? It's not like you volunteered to get stuck with me."

"Veronica…" Logan sighs.

"What? You had no problem abandoning me before – when I needed you the most. You, and Duncan, and my mom, and even Lilly to an extent. All I had left was my dad, and now I've lost even him."

"Veronica," Logan tilts her chin up forcing her to meet his eyes. "I will never leave you behind. At least, not until you tell me to."

Veronica searches Logan's eyes for the truth. "Really?"

"I promise. And you know me. I'm an asshole, but not a liar. We're all each other have now. We're family - an extremely dysfunctional family - but family."

"I thought we were family before," she says, bitterly.

"Yeah, but now we've been tested, and we're stronger. So, until you tell me you want to go off and do your own thing, you're stuck with me."

Veronica lets out a nervous laugh and buries her face in Logan's chest again. He takes a step backwards to lean against the truck pulling her with him. When she doesn’t resist, Logan squeezes her tighter.

"You and me against the world V, okay?"

"Okay," She laughs softly. "Despite coming from the 'Big Book of Over-Dramatic Clichés', that sentiment means a lot to me."

He snickers and touches his lips to her forehead. "I highlighted and bookmarked it, just waiting for the day I could use it on a hot blonde."

Veronica doesn’t answer, but squeezes him tighter.

"I was following you just fine, and then this yellow Hummer got in between us, and I couldn't see over it. I tried to go around, but a mini-van boxed me in. By the time I finally got around them both, you were long gone. Then there was a pile-up. We were stopped in traffic for over forty minutes. You must have been in front of the accident."

"We need more disposable cells so we can reach each other if we're ever separated, again." Veronica mumbles into Logan's chest.

"We'll pick some up today." He smoothes her hair back.

When Veronica releases him, her mask is back up and she’s back to being all business.

_Well...it was nice while it lasted._

"I'll go close the hood and hide the car keys," Veronica says.

"Why don't you leave the keys in the ignition?" Logan asks.

"Since we're leaving a trail for Liam, we want the car impounded, not stolen," Veronica explains.

While she closes the hood, retrieves the keys and locks up the Barracuda, Logan moves Duncan to the backseat.

 

Logan glances over from the driver's seat as Veronica climbs into the truck and sinks down with a weary sigh. She’s exhausted, and he can’t blame her. The past three days have been grueling for both of them, and he doubts the pace will let up anytime soon.

"So explain this plan of yours again?" he asks.

"We drive North to Dallas, leaving a trail. We allow several people to hear us talking about Chicago. Then we double back South to I-10 and continue on to Florida."

"What if nobody recognizes us."

"We'll think of something. Maybe whip out the black Amex I'm betting you never got around to destroying." she gives him a pointed glance. "I suppose if that draws Liam down on us, we'll have our proof the Lamb is on the payroll. We may need to do something a bit more…visible."

"Why did I get a shiver from the way you said 'visible'?" Logan smirks, inserting the key in the ignition.

As Logan is turning the car key, a red recent-model Mustang screeches to a halt ahead of them next to the Barracuda before pulling to the shoulder. Logan glances at Veronica to gauge her reaction, but her eyes are large expressing frustration and a hint of fear. "He has a gun, Logan!"

Logan turns back to the Mustang and sees Liam Fitzpatrick running towards them with a gun in hand. Without hesitation, he puts the Explorer in Drive and drives straight at the large man. He’s not sure what he would have done if Liam hadn't dived out of the path of the vehicle.

_Sure you do. What's a little hit-and-run among fugitives?_

"How in the hell did he get out of the handcuffs?" Logan asks, slamming the gas pedal to the floor.

Veronica turns to scrutinize the highway behind them for signs of Liam. "He didn't. Somebody snipped them in the middle."

"And where did he get another vehicle?"

"I imagine he stole it." Veronica answers. "It's not hard to hot wire a car. I could do it in three minutes."

Logan shoots her a glance of disbelief. "Forgery and Grand Theft Auto? Any other criminal abilities I should know about?"

"Um…breaking and entering? Wiretapping? This girl's got mad skillz." Veronica smirks.

"You have no idea what a turn-on that is," Logan says, unable to take his eyes off the road to give her the requisite accompanying leer.

"How about we discuss your kinks after we've managed to lose the psychopath?"

"I'd rather discuss  _your_  kinks."

"That would be a very short discussion."

"So…what? Did Liam plant some kind of homing device on us? How could he have possibly found us this quickly?" Logan asks.

"We wanted him to find us, remember? I stopped at the gas station across from the motel without any disguise and asked for directions to Dallas."

"We wanted to lead him to Dallas, we didn't want him to actually find US."

"Yeah, he got free from the sink much sooner than I expected. He would have driven right past us if he hadn't seen his Barracuda."

"And now he knows what we're driving," Logan says.

"And…he's coming up behind us." Veronica calls. "Drive faster."

"I'm already going 90 miles per hour."

"Go faster."

"I'm not going to be able to control the truck if I go any faster."

"Switch places with me," Veronica says.

"Sure, I'll just pull over to the shoulder," Logan snarks. "I'm sure Liam will wait patiently while we switch positions."

Veronica smiles at him and unbuckles her seatbelt.

_Uh oh. I'm not liking the look of this. What's she going to try now?_

She crouches down next to Logan, and holding on to the armrest on her seat, Veronica slides her left foot between his feet and very carefully slides onto his lap, taking the wheel.

"VERONICA! WE'RE GOING 100 FUCKING MILES PER HOUR!"

Veronica ignores him and slides her right foot above his on the gas pedal. Logan carefully slides his foot off the pedal.

"Okay, I have the gas pedal and the steering wheel," Veronica says. "Now, very carefully slide yourself out from under me."

"You're fucking nuts!" Logan says, trying to spread his legs wide. It’s not working. Veronica is too far back on his lap. He tries lifting up, to slide her forward and off his lap.

"Logan, I'm trying to drive, here," She says.

Finally, with no other option, he slides his hands under her butt, lifting her enough to be able spread his legs wide and then gently setting her down between his thighs.

"Hey! You copped a feel on my butt!"

"Yeah, well give a man his dying grope. We'll both be dead in three minutes, anyway. Be glad it wasn't your boobs. Wait, can I grope them too?"

"Sure, if you want to lose two of your three remaining minutes."

"Might be worth it. Under the shirt?"

"Logan…" Veronica warns.

"Sorry."

Logan takes a deep breath. He’d enjoyed the accidental grope much more than he should have. He should be thinking about whether or not he’s about to die, not dwelling on the fact that the reverse cowgirl position had been ruined for life, because honestly, who or what could possibly top him lifting Veronica up by the ass at over 100 miles per hour. Then again, if he were with Veronica herself…

_Oh shit. Getting hard. Think of grandmas. Naked wrinkly grandmas. Think of fiery car crashes!_

Logan looks over his shoulder. "He's gaining on us."

"Not if I can help it." Veronica says pushing harder on the accelerator.

_Whew. Much better. Fiery car crashes did the trick. We're still gonna die, but at least I averted that crises. I need to get out of this position, though before it comes back._

They’re approaching a thick clump of cars, and Veronica navigates onto the shoulder. Logan winces at the screeching sound and sparks the Explorer creates as it scraped along the guardrail.

"Logan. I'm trying to drive. Stop with the Heimlich maneuver." Veronica cries, and he realizes he has his arms wrapped around her holding on for dear life.

"Sorry," he mutters, releasing his hold.

Veronica makes it through the clump of cars, and an open stretch of road was ahead.

"Lean forward." Logan says.

Veronica leans as close to the steering wheel as possible, and Logan slides his right foot between the seats, shifts his weight to his right leg, and carefully pulls his left leg out from behind Veronica. He drops into the passenger's seat in relief, buckling his seatbelt.

"Logan?"

"Hmm?"

"I need you to hold the wheel so I can adjust my seat. You're way taller than I am."

"Oh...you noticed…" Logan leans over taking the wheel. Veronica pulls the lever on her left side and adjusts the seat forward until she can reach the pedals easier. She then buckles her seatbelt.

She flashes him a smile and takes back the wheel. "Thanks. Hey make yourself useful, search my bag and find the video camera."

"We're not making a freaking documentary, Veronica."

"Logan…" she warns.

"Yes, dear."

Logan digs through her bag until he finds the camera.

"Now film the maniac chasing us. Try to keep Duncan and anything that could identify the make and model of this truck out of the frame, though. Like the steering wheel and the dashboard."

"Okay. How are you so calm, Veronica?" Logan asks.

"Because my dad taught me how to drive."

"So? My dad taught me to drive, and I'm about to piss myself."

"Yeah, but your dad didn't attend Evasive Driving School." Veronica answers, her face almost smug.

Logan pushes the camera's red button and turns in his seat, keeping Duncan out of the frame while he begins narrating. "Hello, I'm Logan Echolls – yes, that Logan Echolls – and today, I'm inviting you, the viewing audience, to accompany me on the last moments of my life."

Veronica snorts from the driver's seat, and Logan turns to film her. "This is Veronica Mars. I'd ask her to wave to the camera, but she's a little occupied right now, trying to keep us alive. She's a pretty good driver, huh?"

He turns to find Liam's vehicle in the viewfinder. "That…" He locates the zoom button and zooms in on Liam's car. "Is Liam Fitzpatrick. He's currently attempting to murder us. For the second time today." His voice is steady, but his heart pounds with anxiety.

Logan records Liam closing the distance, showing much less regard for human life than Veronica. He's already run two cars off the road in the time Logan has been recording him. Too bad the Mustang's windows are tinted. He doesn’t think it likely that Liam's face will be captured on video.

They’re approaching a clump of about a dozen cars ahead. Veronica begins honking the horn repeatedly, and several of the vehicles move to the right lane, but a few are being stubborn.

Logan turns to aim the camera out the front window. "Ahead of us are a few people who think it's more important to stand their ground in the fast lane, then to get out of the way of a high speed car chase. If we somehow don't die today, remind me to never drive like an asshole again, Veronica."

"Don't drive like an asshole, Logan," she says with a distracted air.

Veronica slows behind a red Blazer that won't move out of the left lane, and tailgates it until she has just barely enough room to squeeze into the center lane in front of white Explorer.

"In case you can't tell," Logan tell the camera, "Veronica has balls of steel. Kinda hot, huh?"

The corners of Veronica's mouth turn up slightly, but she doesn’t take her eyes off the road.

A blue Ford Focus in front of her shows no sign of speeding up, so Veronica moves to the right lane and then onto the shoulder. This time, there’s no guardrail to hinder her, so she’s able to quickly pass two vehicles before crossing three lanes of traffic to return to the fast lane. Logan flips off the driver of the Blazer while Veronica tailgates a silver Ford Windstar, who has the decency to move into the center lane.

From behind comes the sounds of honking horns and squealing tires. There’s only one remaining car a – black Honda Accord – to get past before the road will open up before them. Unfortunately, the car is boxed in, unable to move to the center lane, and doesn’t seem inclined to pick up its speed.

Veronica reaches out her right hand, and it takes Logan a moment to realize she’s reaching for his. He switches the camera to his left hand and takes her hand.

Veronica squeezes it, lets out a deep breath, and says, "Wish me luck, Lo."

Bringing her hand to his mouth, he presses his lips to it, lingering for a moment before saying, "Good luck, Veronica." in a quiet voice.

He notices a hint of a smile on her face before she takes another deep breath, returns her hand to the wheel and steers onto the left shoulder. Unfortunately, they’re on a bridge, and the left shoulder isn't as wide as a full lane. Logan clenches his jaw and squeezes the grab handle as their vehicle scrapes between the concrete barrier on the left and the Accord on their right, whose driver – a giant-sized redneck-looking man with a baseball cap and a long ponytail – looks like he’s about to pee himself. Luck is with them, because the side mirror escapes without being knocked off, and suddenly, they’re through the other side with open road ahead of them.

Veronica spares a second to glance at Logan, and something in his eyes must surprise her, because hers widen, and her lips slightly part.

_Tone down the blatant admiration, Logan, or she's going to dump you on the side of the road._

"You did amazing, V," he says, before turning the camera to search for Liam behind them. The Accord has since moved to the center lane, and even the asshole in the Blazer has pulled over, giving Liam a clear path to catch up with them. "Oh, sure. By all means, make room for the pursuer, you morons."

"He's catching up," Logan says, watching the Mustang draw closer and closer. "Of course he's catching up. Because, dear viewing audience, trucks can't beat Mustangs."

"We'll lose him," Veronica promises.

"HE'S ABOUT TO RAM US!"

Veronica checks her seatbelt and braces herself.

The Mustang hits the Explorer, causing Logan's and Duncan's heads to bounce forward. Veronica barely flinches, swerving into the left lane. Liam switches lanes and rams them again. Veronica manages to keep the vehicle under control, passing a Ford Taurus and then swerving back to the center lane. Liam quickly follows. The third time Liam rams the Explorer, he swerves wildly to the right for a moment before getting his car under control and moving back behind them.

Veronica passes a Camry in the right lane, and slides between it and the semi in front of it. She slows to prevent Liam from getting behind her, so he moves up on her left, boxing her in. Logan follows him with the camera.

"Veronica!"

"Breathe, Logan."

"Remember? He has a gun!"

"Would you try aiming and shooting at this speed?"

They pass another exit ramp. Moments later, Veronica hang a hard right, driving up the grass embankment.

"What are you doing? This is an entrance ramp."

"What do you want me to do? We got away from Liam, right?" Veronica asks, as the tires find asphalt and they slip onto the ramp driving in the wrong direction.

"Uh, Veronica. Liam slammed on his brakes and followed us." Logan says, aiming the camera at the Mustang tearing up the grass.

"Damn," Veronica swears, swerving to the shoulder as an oncoming car blares its horn at her. At the end of the ramp, she hangs a tight right hand turn without stopping. Luckily, the four-lane road runs through a rural area and no other cars are nearby.

"He's catching up again! Veronica!"

She doesn’t respond, so Logan turns the camera on her.

"So...uh...you wanna make up and be friends again?" Logan asks.

"Umm..." Veronica says, "Can we talk about this later?"

"I mean, I know we've been acting like friends the past couple of days, but maybe we should make it official."

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to spit on my hand and shake yours?" Veronica asks, watching the rearview. "Cause my hands are a little busy right now."

"I'll accept other forms of spit swapping."

This time he gets an actual laugh out of her.

"Hey, I'm not looking to have a long touchy-feely discussion. I just don't want to die as the bad guy."

"Fine," Veronica sighs, keeping an eye on her side mirror. "All is forgiven."

"Good. And I forgive you too," Logan says, magnanimously.

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"Can't you be gracious for once, Veronica?"

"Not when I did nothing wrong."

Logan blows out a puff of air. This probably isn't the optimal time to push the issue.

He turns the camera on himself. "In case anybody finds this video, I'd like to say Mom, I love you. Dad, um…later dude. Trina, it's been...interesting to say the least. Duncan…" his eyes flick to the back seat. "Since kindergarten you've been the best friend a guy could ever have. It's been a blast. And Veronica…" He sighs and runs his free hand through his hair. "Wow. It's a lot easier saying goodbye to the people who aren't here." He laughs nervously. "I guess we're going to die together, huh? So…" Deep breath. "There's one thing I've always needed to tell you—"

"Logan, will you cut that out? We're not going to die."

"You're ruining my dramatic moment here, Ronnie."

"You'll survive." She holds up a hand to cut off his protest. "Really. You'll survive."

Logan turns the camera back on Veronica. "Are you slowing down?"

"Trust me," Veronica says, "He's already decided that ramming us won't work. He's going to want to get in front of us and cut us off. Force us to stop the car."

"And you're giving him what he wants?

Veronica flashes him a grin.

"Oh hell! Oh hell! Oh hell!" Logan says as Liam begins creeping up on their left.

"He's almost where I want him," Veronica responds. She reaches out her right hand and takes Logan's free hand, giving him another reassuring squeeze.

Liam pulls up and begins passing them on the left.

"What are you doing, Veronica?"

"Wait...for...it..."

For Logan, time seems to slow to a crawl, as he watches the Mustang pull ahead of them. Veronica's face is calm, almost anticipatory, which pulls a smile from Logan's lips. He can think of worse things to be looking at when he dies.

When the Mustang is 90% ahead of them, Veronica turns the steering wheel to the left, making contact with Liam's fender. She keeps turning, hard, against the pressure, forcing Liam's Mustang to zip across the Explorer's path and off to the right, where it makes a full rotation, coming to a stop front-end down in a ditch.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Logan screams.

"Physics, darling." Veronica flashes him a triumphant grin.

She brings the Explorer to a stop.

"Find a bathroom. I almost just peed myself," Logan says.

Veronica throws the Explorer in reverse, and looking over her right shoulder, accelerates to around 35 mph before spinning the wheel hard, and throwing the car into drive.

"Now you're just showing off." Logan mutters.

"Never hurts to practice your J-Turns."

"You will be teaching me how to drive like that."

"You don't have the guts to drive like that," Veronica challenges.

"Never underestimate the size of my cajones," Logan says with authority.

_Is that a blush on her face? Nah, it must just be my imagination._

Logan turns off the video camera and stuffs it back into Veronica's bag. He leans to the right on the car door and studies Veronica as she zig-zags along state routes and side roads until she’s sure Liam won’t be able to follow them, and then pulls into a large gas station, driving to the back behind the dumpsters.

 

Slamming the gearshift into park, Veronica presses her head to the steering wheel and gulps deep breaths.

Logan feels the same compulsion from earlier to give comfort to her. He reaches out a hand and starts rubbing her back. "Hey, it's okay. You were amazing back there. It's going to be alright"

Veronica raises her head to look at him, chest still heaving.

He’s surprised to find that she’s not crying. Instead, her eyes are bright and shining. More alive than he'd ever seen them before. They shine with some emotion he'd never seen on her face. Is it lust? It sure looked a lot like lust.

Logan's mouth goes dry, and his heart begins to pound. He feels like a gazelle trapped in the hungry gaze of a lioness.

"Veronica?" Is that his voice? It sounds too husky.

Her gaze snaps from Logan's eyes down to his mouth, and he watches her lips slightly part, flashing a hint of teeth. Her pupils dilate, and Logan feels his stomach drop. He drags in a ragged breath, not even realizing that his hand has relocated from her back to the back of her neck, where his thumb is drawing random patterns on her skin.

_I need to defuse this situation quickly before we both end up naked in the passenger's seat in a gas station parking lot with Duncan right behind us._

_Damn! I **don't want**  to defuse this situation. Doing the right thing blows! But not literally, because that would be the wrong thing. _

_Damn! Damn! Damn! Tell a joke, Logan._

"Veronica? Why are you looking at me like I'm a juicy steak that you're about to devour?"

_Not that kind of joke! Why the hell did I say that?_

"Huh?" she asks, lifting her gaze from his lips to his eyes. Her eyes are still glazed, and he imagines his own are as well. His mind might want to stop things from happening, but his body is on a completely different page. In fact, he belatedly realizes his hand is still rubbing the back of her neck, and pulls it away.

For a moment, Veronica looks confused and then her mask comes back up.

"What the hell are you talking about, Logan? I didn't look at you look at you like anything."

Logan looks Ms. Denial over, and then a cocky smile slowly spreads over his face. "Now I get it."

"Get what, Logan?" Veronica asks, evidently annoyed.

"It's the danger, isn't it?" he asks, flashing her an 'I've-got-your-number' smile. "That little moment we had this morning, and then just now. Both were right after we survived imminent danger and were filled with adrenaline."

"We didn't have a  _moment_ _._ Not this morning, and not now. Ten minutes ago, you wanted to be friends. Now, you're seriously pissing me off."

"Mmm Hmm." He grins.

He digs through their quick-change disguise bag and puts on his glasses and his favorite baseball cap, handing Veronica her glasses and her light brown wig.

As they walks across the parking lot, Logan slings an arm around her. "If it's any consolation…" He leans down to whisper in her ear. "It turns me on too."

Veronica shoves Logan away, laughing despite herself.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Lakeview Court Motel**  
**Dallas, TX**

 

Veronica takes her turn driving for the next several hours. Happily, the conversation with Logan remains light and trivial. She doesn’t think she can handle any more intensity. She's been through the wringer today. Starting with her classmates' unhealthy obsession with her sex life, continuing through the Liam attack, then being stranded at the side of the road for over an hour positive that Logan had abandoned her –  _I can't believe how sweet he was about that when he finally showed up –_ and culminating with the high-speed car chase.

Logan had been right about one thing. The adrenaline definitely does something to her. Just maybe not in the way he insinuated. That would be crazy.

She drives around Dallas for a while before pulling into the Lakeview Court Motel. It’s far away enough from the freeway that she doubt Liam will ever find it.

"Where's the lake?" Logan asks. "How can it be a Lakeview if there's no lake?"

Veronica rolls her eyes and parks the car in front of the office. "I'll be right back."

When Veronica slips through the office door of the Lakeview Court Motel, she immediately senses that she's chosen the right place to stay the night. The khaki-colored Berber carpet is immaculately clean. Two inexpensive but spotless chocolate colored-couches are arranged to the right of the door around an oak coffee table. Tasteful framed black-and-white photos of flowers line the wall – and whoever had taken them has a great eye.

Behind the white front desk with a granite counter top stands a very tall, heavyset, grandmotherly woman, with dark hair flipped up at the ends in a style reminiscent of Rikki Lake in Hairspray.

"Just one second, hon." The lady runs a finger along a leather-bound ledger, jots down a figure, and then looks up at Veronica.

"Welcome to the Lakeview, how can I help you?"

"I'd like a room with two double beds, please."

The lady tilts her head, examining Veronica to determine why the face looks familiar, and then comprehension dawns on her face.

"Veronica Mars?"


	12. Day Three - The Best Defense is a Snarky Blonde Offense

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Lakeview Court Motel**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

"Veronica, who? I'm not acquainted with anybody named Veronica. You know what? It's a little early to be turning in. Actually, I think I can drive all night. Must be the 5-Hour Energy shot. Bye now!"

Veronica attempts to backtrack to the door, but her legs wobble as if they had turned to jelly.

"Wait." The clerk scuttles out from behind the desk and rushes over to Veronica reaching out a hand.

Veronica freezes, expecting to be grabbed by the wrist, but instead, finds herself pulled snug against a plump bosom liberally scented with Shalimar, Opium or some other Oriental-scented perfume. "You poor, poor child." The lady coos, patting her on the back.

Perhaps sensing Veronica's discomfort, the woman releases her, giving her space. "Oh, I am so sorry. You're probably not comfortable being touched." She has the melodious speaking voice of a trained singer.

Veronica considers all of the people who have attempted to touch her over the past three days: Jake Kane, who'd reached for her arm, Weevil, who'd wanted to hug her, the waitress in the diner, who'd grabbed her hand to examine her ring, and we can't forget Danny Boyd and Liam Fitzpatrick. In every case, she had shrunk away from physical contact. Her stomach recoils remembering how she'd reacted the same way after her rape at Shelly's party.

"I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect, but I do get a bit edgy when people touch me." Veronica admits.

_Except for Logan, my long-time nemesis. I'll mull that one over later._

"Nonsense, you have nothing to apologize for. It'll be awhile, but eventually you will feel safe again. Trust me, I've been there."

The lady isn't what anybody would call beautiful, and there’s a weariness to her that suggests she's lived a hard life, but her large brown eyes are kind and compassionate, and she obviously puts an effort into enhancing her appearance. The cherry tint to her dark brown bouffant did not come from nature, but is flattering to her complexion. Her arched eyebrows framed a small button nose. She wears a deep ruby lipstick on her full, bee-stung lips, and black mascara defines and separated each spidery eyelash. A long red and white floral patterned caftan drapes her Amazonian figure, ending near her ankles and golden sandals completed her ensemble.

"Now where are those boys? Out in the car?" Without waiting for an answer, the woman opens the door and hustles out into the stifling heat. Veronica trails behind, at a loss as to how to deal with this situation.

The lady bends over and leans into the driver's window. "Logan Echolls! My, my, you're even more handsome in person." She peeks into the back seat. "And you must be Dun..." She trails off.

"Has he been like this ever since it happened?" She addresses Logan with concerned eyes.

He nods. "Yeah. Well, he's stopped rocking, but yeah."

"Come on. Let's get him inside. It's too hot out here."

Logan turns to Veronica for guidance, but she can only shrug helplessly. Seeing no other alternative, he climbs out of the truck and guides Duncan into the motel office, leading him to one of the couches and ordering him to sit.

He turns back to their host with a guarded expression.

"Margaret Loomis, but most people call me Peggy. I own this place." She holds out her hand to Logan.

"Logan," he responds, shaking the offered hand. "Why Peggy?"

"Are you asking how they got Peggy from Margaret?"

"Yes."

Peggy raises her hands in the universal gesture of 'I-have-no-idea'. "One of the great mysteries of the world. Crop circles, Bigfoot, Jimmy Hoffa, and how does Peggy come from Margaret. You ever figure it out, be sure to tell me. I'm pleased to meet you Logan, and you too Veronica."

She steps over to Duncan and crouches down. While she visually examines him, Veronica takes a seat on the opposite couch where she can keep her eye on the door.

Peggy pulls out a cell and dials one of her presets. "Tony? Hey, I need you to get over to the motel right away, and bring your bag with you. No, make an excuse. Tell nobody where you're going. OK, see you in a minute hon."

"Who did you call?" Logan asks in a panicked voice, reaching blindly for Veronica's hand. "Come on, Veronica. We need to get out of here."

Peggy rises from her crouch and touches Logan's arm. "I called my son, Tony. He's a doctor, and he can examine your friend here. We've been following your story on the news, and we're both on your side. You're safe with us."

Logan exhales and drops down on the couch to Veronica's left. To the eye, he appears to have relaxed, but Veronica knows better. His forearms resting on his knees, he holds himself with rigidity unusual for him.

"Are you sure?" he asks. "You're not going to call the police the minute we turn our backs?"

Not sure exactly why, Veronica puts a hand on his lower back, and rubs lightly. Almost immediately, she feels his tension seeping away.

"Of course not! That Sheriff Lamb on the news? I can tell he's a snake by looking at him."

"I'm sure you've heard some not-so-great things about me as well," Logan counters.

"I have," Peggy admits, "But anybody who takes care of his friends the way you do can't be a bad person."

Logan ducks his head self-consciously.

Peggy turns back to Veronica. "And look at that, he's humble to boot. So are you two kids dating yet?"

"No!" Veronica answers, a little too forcefully. "We're just...friends?" She glances at Logan in question. Is it too soon to call each other friends again?

"Yeah...friends." His voice is pleasant, but his soft eyes say something different.

_Welcome back, Schmoopy Logan. What do you want from me this time?_

Peggy doesn’t seem to be buying the 'just friends' thing. She gives them a knowing smile and asks, "While we're waiting, what can I get for you? Coffee? Tea?"

"No thank you," Veronica says at the same time Logan says, "Coffee sounds good."

"Sure thing, I'll be right back." Peggy exits the room through a door behind the front desk.

"So what do you think?" Logan asks when they were alone. He flops back on the couch so that his shoulder touches Veronica's. She notices he’d left enough room for two people on his other side, but doesn’t make an issue out of it.

"Honestly? It's strange. I don't trust anybody," Veronica starts, "But for some reason, my instincts tell me to trust her. I think she's for real."

"Good, so do I," Logan says, and begins bouncing his left leg.

Usually, Logan's hyperactive fidgeting doesn’t bother Veronica, but this time she presses a hand to his knee until he stills.

"Sorry," he says, his face sheepish. "That used to drive Lilly crazy."

"Hey." Veronica catches his eyes. "Logan, it's okay. Nine times out of ten that wouldn't bother me, but right now, I'm a little tense about this situation we've gotten ourselves into, and whether I should trust my instincts."

"You have the best instincts of anybody I know."

"You mean those same instincts that made me think you'd never turn on me?"

"I thought we were getting past that."

"Logan, I'm not programmed to forgive and forget. I can't just start chumming around with someone who's ignored and mocked me for a year."

Logan looks wounded. "So you're taking back your forgiveness now?"

"No…" she answers slowly. "I don't want to hold on to the anger anymore, but just because something is forgiven doesn't mean it never happened. You turned on me and I learned several life-lessons as a result. One being the fact that my instincts aren't infallible."  
She keeps her voice detached and non-judgmental. She isn't trying to start a fight.

"I'm going to earn back your trust, V."

"Well, you can start by being trust _worthy_ ,"

Logan inhales a breath as if about to begin a rant, but Veronica puts a hand up to stop him. "I know you're trying, Logan. These past few days you've been…surprising, but it's going to take some time for me to stop bracing myself for the other shoe to drop."

"Fair enough," Logan answers with a sigh, and begins fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves.

Peggy returns to the office with a chrome rolling-cart containing a large coffee urn, cream and sweeteners, and a platter of chocolate chip cookies.

Veronica and Logan both offer their thanks, and then Logan reaches for two cookies.

"Sorry," Logan addresses their host. "If I don't grab 'em early, she'll eat the entire plate-full, and I won't get any." Catching sight of an apple in a bowl of fruit, he hands the cookies to Veronica and instead snags the piece of fruit.

"A young lady who eats more than salad? How refreshing." Peggy says.

"A young lady who eats more than a defensive lineman." Logan says.

Veronica's eyes narrow and Logan yelps when she pinched his side.

The windowed door of the motel flies open and a tall, good-looking man hurries in, heading straight to Peggy, and gripping her forearms. "Mom, what's wrong?"

_Good looking? This guy is freaking hot!_

Veronica feels Logan stiffen next to her - shifting his posture, sitting taller, puffing out his chest and almost bristling with testosterone as if threatened.

_Awww. Poor Logan. Not used to being the second hottest guy in the room, huh?_

"Mom! What happened?" the man asks worriedly. At around 6 feet tall, he obviously spends a lot of time working out. He wears khaki cargos with a white polo. His hair is of the darkest brown and his eyes are as dark as Logan's, with a fringe of thick lashes. He reminds Veronica of Colin Farrell.

Noticing the extra people in the motel office, he pauses. "Oh...Wow…The kids from Neptune, California." His eyes sweep over Veronica and Logan finally stopping on Duncan.

_Wait…wait…when was it established that Logan is always the hottest guy in the room? Can we erase the last bit of self-admission?_

Peggy's son drops to the couch next to Duncan, digging through his bag. He pulls out a tiny flashlight, shining it into Duncan's eyes, his face troubled.

_Screw it. Logan is hot. It's not some kind of shocking revelation, I've known for years. Lightning isn't going to strike me for admitting he's hot._

The man slides a stethoscope under Duncan's shirt to his heart.

_He's hot enough that I sometimes forget what a jackass he can be._

The doctor presses two fingers to Duncan's wrist watching the second hand on his watch. "He's been like this ever since it happened?" he asks Veronica.

"Who, Logan?"

Logan turns to her with an eyebrow raised in question.

"I thought this was Duncan," the man says, confused.

"No, he is Duncan. I'm sorry. I was distracted. Yes, that's Duncan. I'm Veronica and this is Logan."

"Tony Loomis." He walks over to shake Logan's hand. Turning to Veronica, he brings her hand to his lips and presses a lingering kiss to it.

"Back off, she's taken," Logan says irritably, wrapping his left arm around Veronica's shoulders and pulling her snug against him.

"Sorry, man." Tony says, holding his hands up in apology. "I didn't realize you two…"

"Well we are," Logan says.

Veronica simply raises an eyebrow at Logan, who is avoiding eye contact. Peggy looks between Logan and Veronica with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

_Great. Now she thinks we're secret lovers or something. Then again, after all of the news coverage, who in this country doesn't think we're secret lovers?_

"So how many days has he been like this?" Tony asks, interrupting Veronica's thoughts.

"This is the third."

"Has he been eating for you?"

"No, but we've been giving him three nutrition drinks a day and plenty of water."

"Well, that's a novel approach, I suppose. What about his other bodily functions?"

"Logan's been helping him shower and dress him. We have him in an adult diaper."

"Has he had a bowl movement?"

Veronica glances over to Logan.

"No." He answers.

"OK, I run a clinic three blocks from here. I'm going to take Duncan with me and put him on an I.V. for 24 hours." He digs around in his pocket and then hands Logan a business card. "Once mom gets you in a room, call me with the phone number so I'll know how to reach you. After 24 hours, we'll need to evaluate our next steps. Can you pay with cash?"

Veronica nods, and then looks at Logan. "What do you think?"

Logan spends a long moment looking over Tony. "Can we trust you not to call the police?"

Tony begins to speak, but Logan puts up a hand stopping him. "We've managed to escape three times already from the Irish mafia. The Fitzpatricks. Liam Fitzpatrick told me to my face that he plans to rape Veronica and force me to watch, before he kills all three of us, and we're pretty sure Sheriff Lamb works for him. You need to know...if you turn us in, we won't get a jail cell and a fair trial. It'll be straight-up murder."

"Can I speak now?" Tony asks.

Logan motions for him to talk.

"I have no intention of turning you in. My mother and I can see those Fitzpatricks are drug-dealing scum. You kids caught a tough break. I want to help you, and I'm sure my mom agrees."

"I absolutely do," Peggy says.

"Thank you," Logan says with sincerity, "That means we would have to stay here for two nights. We haven't had the best luck staying hidden at motels."

"This is our off-season, so the Eastern wing of the motel is completely unoccupied, and there aren't many guests in the Western wing, either. This is a poor, but quiet neighborhood."

Logan turns to Veronica. "I say we let him help Duncan."

Veronica nods. "I agree. Thank you Tony."

"Don't thank me yet. I can keep him hidden in an examining room for the next 24 hours, and check in on him all day, but after that, I'll have to bring him back. The cleaning people come in tomorrow evening, and we can't risk them seeing him. It this doesn't work, we may need to get him to a hospital."

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Lakeview Court Motel**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Room 118 opens with a key rather than a card, so Logan isn't sure what to expect as he feels-around with his left hand for a light switch. His fingers close upon a slider, which turns on the overhead lights, starting with a soft glow and ending in an almost blinding glare. He dials it back to about the ¾ mark and glances around the room.

The floor, carpeted in cream-colored Berber, is as spotless as in the motel office. Two double beds covered with solid cranberry red bedspreads and crisp white turned-down sheets abut the left wall. Oak nightstands bookended each bed, and a matching long, unscarred dresser lines the right wall with a tall mirror attached to the back, and a larger-than-usual television mounted above it.

Veronica heads straight to the bathroom with one of her bags, to shower and get ready to go out for a late dinner, while Logan drops to one of the beds, testing the bounce, before lying down. Surprised by the comfort of the mattress, he pauses in the middle of reaching for the room phone to figure out what’s missing.

_The musty scent. That's what is missing. All I can smell is fabric softener. Nice!_

Logan dials Tony's clinic.

"Hey, Dr. Tony. Veronica and I are in room 118."

"Okay," Tony says, taking down the phone number. "Thanks for getting back to me."

"How's Duncan doing?" Logan asks, examining their lodgings further.

The sight of a coffee bar on the far wall to his left - coffee maker and baskets containing packets of coffee, powdered creamer and sweeteners - triggers a caffeine craving, but they’ll be leaving once Veronica comes out of the shower, so he’ll have to wait.

"Duncan has been made comfortable in an examining room. I have him on a catheter and an I.V."

"What's in the I.V.?"

Above each nightstand hangs wall sconces. Logan finds a switch and one lights up, while Tony explains intravenous nutritional treatments and Benzodiazepines – which are tranquilizers used to relieve catatonic symptoms. He promises to keep Logan up to date on Duncan's status, and then ends the call.

Peggy's promise that this wing of the motel is deserted had not been a lie – only the sounds of Veronica's shower, and the quiet hum of the air conditioning penetrates the silence.

Logan lingers in bed for a moment. After his encounter with Liam this morning, he isn't in the best shape of his life, but he’s been worse after encounters with his father. Much worse. Groaning, he climbs out of bed, and digs through the FitzBackpack for an Oxycontin, which he dry-swallows, scowling at the chalky aftertaste.

He empties the backpack out on the dresser top, sorting the contents into piles. To the right, bags of Oxycontin in three strengths, bags of some clear chunky crystals he assumes must be Crystal Meth, and two tiny bags of Cocaine. Envelopes containing several thousand dollars in small bills are sorted to the back. To the left, he pushes tablets of Ecstasy in candy colors pre-sorted by the images embossed onto their faces – Superman symbols in one baggie, stars in a second, and the interlocked C's of the Chanel logo in a third. Logan runs his hands around the inside of the backpack finding it empty. The outer pockets are empty as well, except for a tiny pocket at the top front, which contains only a small thumb drive with the SanDisk logo. Finding no signs whatsoever of a tracking device, he repacks the backpack.

Their room is still a far cry from the five star hotels Logan is used to sleeping in, but at least it’s clean and has Wi-Fi. He doesn’t feel dirty staying here as he had at the other motels, and since they would be here two nights, he can set out some pictures.

That first night, while he’d waited for Veronica to return from searching for her mother, he had framed the photos of the Fab Four he'd convinced Veronica to pack, with black 4X6 frames he'd purchased at Target. Now he lines them up along the low dresser – except for the one of him about to toss Veronica into the pool. He puts that one on the nightstand. What could it hurt to decorate a motel room? And if the photos remind Veronica of who they used to be? Even better.

He spends a few minutes emptying his bags, hanging his button-down shirts on the chrome non-removable hangers in one of the closets, and sliding his folded clothing into several dresser drawers. He finds a home for their car refrigerator below the coffee bar, snagging a Pepsi after plugging it in, and savoring the first bubbly sip.

Logan grabs the black straw cowboy hat Peggy had loaned him and heads over to the mirror.

"Nobody will give you a second glance in this hat," she'd told him, and after putting it on, he believes her. The hat completely transforms his appearance. He doesn’t even think he will need the glasses.

"Thank you very much," he tells the mirror.

_No dumbass, that's Elvis. Try again._

"I haven't lost my temper in 40 years, but, Pilgrim, you caused a lot of trouble this morning; might have got somebody killed, and somebody oughta belt you in the mouth. But I won't. I won't. The hell I won't!" Logan throws a fake punch at the mirror.

"Hate to break it to you Logan, but you're far too pretty to play The Duke," Veronica says, coming out of the bathroom.

When Logan turns to face her, his mouth goes dry. Her blond center-parted Jessica Simpson-esque wig full of big bouncy curls reaches midway down her back. Her usual black biker boots peek out from under tight blue jeans, and she wears a red skinny-strapped tank top layered over a white one. Shiny pink gloss covers her lips, and she wears a bit more eye makeup than usual – although not enough to appear trashy. His favorite look for Veronica is her natural hair – especially when she has the pigtails or the mini cinnamon buns, but this look is a very close second.

"I haven't seen that wig before," He says, feeling somewhat tongue-tied.

"It would stand out anywhere else, but when in Texas…" She shrugs.

_If you're going to look like this, let's just stay in Texas forever._

"I see you're dressed for the occasion," she says, pointing at the cowboy hat.

"Do I look ridiculous?" Logan ask?

"No."

Her soft smile isn't malicious, so he decides to take her at her word.

"I searched the backpack."

"Anything?"

"Tracking devices? No. There was some Oxy, some X, some coke, and some meth – I think. A few thousand in cash. Want me to dump it somewhere? We probably don't want to be caught with all those drugs."

Veronica considers. "More than anything I'd like to get rid of it, but I think we'd better keep it. Danny Boyd kept you alive for Liam because he wanted the backpack. Otherwise, he might have killed you right away."

"I don't think he's the killing type."

"But Liam is, and if he catches one of us, we might be able to use the backpack as leverage."

"Can't believe a couple thousand in cash and some drugs would be so important to Liam."

"That's because you're a millionaire. To us lesser beings, a few thousand is a lot of money," Veronica says.

"Ready to go eat?" Logan asks, changing the subject.

"Always," Veronica says. "But we can't be gone for too long. My dad's interview will be airing later."

"Can't wait to see that. Maybe he'll accuse Jake Kane of stabbing Ciaran Fitzpatrick," Logan says, without thinking.

"And there goes our truce," Veronica says, turning to walk away from Logan.

_Oh hell. Why did I say that?_

"Veronica…" Logan grabs her by the wrist, forcing her to face him. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight."

"Then you shouldn't have started one." Her narrowed eyes drip with animosity.

"Please…don't be mad at me. I really want us to be…friends, but I can't help the way I feel about your father. The Kanes were grieving. They had just lost their only daughter. Can you imagine how painful that was? And then he went after them for murder. That's just cruel, Veronica," Logan says, his voice impassioned.

"They were hiding something, Logan! My dad suspected it, and I have irrefutable proof."

Logan sighs, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching for both of Veronica's hands.

_She's not pulling away. That's a good sign._

"How about this?" he saus, giving Veronica his best puppy-dog eyes. "Even though I know without a doubt that Jake Kane would never, ever hurt his daughter, I'll acknowledge that your dad truly believed he was hiding something, and was only doing his job."

Veronica's eyes begin to soften.

Logan continues, "Jake probably was hiding something – probably his affair with whomever he was meeting at the Camelot – but he did NOT kill Lilly, and I'll never believe that he did."

He can feel Veronica withdraw. Her eyes become distant as if she’s lost in thought.

_Something about Jake Kane's affair really bothers her. Why won't she just tell me whom Jake was meeting at the Camelot? Why is she being so loyal to him, after she's already chosen her father?_

He rubs his thumbs along the backs of her hands to bring her attention back to him. "Hey…V…I promise that I'll keep my opinions about your dad to myself from now on, okay?"

The left side of Veronica's mouth turns up in a sad little smile. "Okay, and I promise that I'm going to change your opinions."

"I have no doubt that you'll try," Logan stands, and looks down at her with a smirk. "Now are you ready to go eat?" He releases her hands and grabs his wallet from the dresser.

"Yeah, did you call the good doctor?" she asks as she grabs her bag and walks to the door.

"Yep, he's getting Duncan settled in, and I can't tell you how relieved I am not to have to worry about him for five minutes. He mentioned a type of tranquilizer that helps catatonic patients, but I can't remember the name. Oh, and he has him on some kind of nutritional I.V."

"He seemed likeable."

"You just liked him because he was good-looking." Logan grumbles.

"Jealous?" Veronica smirks, taking a page from Logan's book. They lock the room door behind them, and step out into the evening.

The sweltering heat from earlier has been replaced by a light breeze, and the three-quarter moon reflects off the inviting motel pool outside of their room.

"Where was this place Peggy recommended?" Veronica asks.

"She said it was two blocks up. It's called the Moonglow Tavern.

"So it's a bar?"

"A bar with a kitchen. She said the food is delicious. And we know how much you like good food. Should we walk or drive?"

Veronica hesitates for a second, considering. "It's breezy, you're well-disguised, and Liam should never find us this far off the beaten path. Let's walk."

"Perfect." Logan says. "My lady?" He holds out an elbow.

Veronica looks at it as she would a contagious rash.

Logan sighs. "Is it really necessary to go through this every time? You're my fiancée. You need to act as if you actually like me."

Veronica laughs softly, and took his arm.

"Thank you," he says in a long-suffering tone, and begins walking.

"You realize Peggy and her son are aware of our true identities?"

"Yeah, so? They're not going to turn us in."

"So the fiancée thing isn't necessary with them. You told Dr. Tony that I was taken."

"Yeah, well I didn't like his  _Rico Suave_  way of looking at you at you."

"I thought he was sweet."

"He's a man whore.

"Oh…right...and until now you were that special man-whore in my life."

"I'm glad you think it's funny, Veronica. Guys like that will break your heart."

"Well then thank goodness I'm traveling with two stand-up guys like you and Duncan. You two would never even  _think_ about breaking my heart."

Logan sighs. "I can't win this discussion, can I?"

"Not without a time machine."

"The way he was kissing your hand like that? Total player!"

"Didn't you kiss my hand the other night at the diner?"

"I was playing a part, V, and trying to take the attention off of your gumball machine ring."

"And again, during the car chase?"

"I thought I was going to die, it was the closest I was going to get to any action in the last moments of my life."

"You're still a man whore."

"Maybe I don't want to be anymore, okay," Logan says, in exasperation. "New name, new leaf, remember?"

"Right…I'll believe it when I see it," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Your faith in me is so uplifting. You really  _are_  the wind beneath my wings. Veronica, he's a doctor."

"Your point?"

"So unless he's Doogie Howser, he's at least ten years older than you."

Veronica snorts in laughter. "Ah…I see. And how old were those trophy wives you slept with?"

"That's different!"

They come to the road, lined with brick single-story mom-and-pop businesses, including a convenience store, a hardware store, a veterinarian, and an old-fashioned pharmacy. "We need to cross here," Logan says, halting at the curb to wait for a break in the heavy traffic.

"How is it so different? Because you're a guy?"

"No, because I'm not a virgin."

Veronica tenses-up and pulls her arm free. "What make you think I'm a virgin?" she asks.

Logan turns to face her. "I know you're a virgin, Veronica."

"You didn't seem to think so when you told the entire school I was a slut."

"No, I suspected even then, but now I'm sure."

"I'm not a virgin, Logan, and what makes you think you know for sure?"

"You are too a virgin. You admitted two days ago, that you have only kissed Duncan; therefore, logically, you are a virgin, unless you and Duncan managed to hook up during those few weeks between Homecoming and your breakup. You're hardly the type to have emotionless sex against a wall or something. Now can we go eat?"

With the break in the traffic, Logan grabs her hand, entwines his fingers with hers, and tugs her across the street. He slows down again once they reached the opposite sidewalk, but he doesn’t release her hand.

The zesty scents of pizza sauce and pepperoni from Fiore's Pizza mingles with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked bread from Tasty's Sub Shop, making Logan grateful they’re already heading out for dinner.

Veronica picks their conversation back up. "So you actually admit you suspected I was a virgin while you were calling me a slut."

"Pretty much."

"Why would you do that?"

"Why do I do anything, Veronica? I'm a jackass. I'm fucked up. There's something wrong with me."

"So you  _knew_  you were wrong?"

Logan hates the way her eyes narrow at him.

_Hurray! I'm back to being the gum on the bottom of her shoe._

"Of COURSE I knew I was wrong. I'm not stupid. I was okay with being wrong. Lilly was dead. The entire world was wrong. Back then being wrong was the only thing that felt right."

"Logan, that's no excuse."

"Who's making an excuse? I'm telling you I  _have_  no excuse. Or…I don't know…maybe Weevil was right."

"Weevil? What did he say?"

Logan laughs bitterly, "He said I wanted to make sure nobody else could have you."

Veronica goes silent.

A movie marquis across the street catches Logan's eye, and he almost allows one of the titles to upset him, but then remembers where he is and with whom he’s walking. How they’ve made it this far in the conversation without Veronica ripping her hand away from his, Logan has no idea, but he loves the physical contact, and is grateful to have a legitimate excuse to initiate it.

He points at the ancient movie theater. "What's up with that? Those movies came out at least two months ago."

Veronica smirks a bit. "Of course! Why should I be surprised you've never heard of the dollar movies before? Why would you ever need to save money?"

"Well you'll just have to teach me how to be poor now, won't you, Little Miss Thrifty?"

Another minute passes. The blue, pink, and yellow neon sign of the Moonglow Tavern has just come into sight half a block ahead of them, when Veronica speaks again. "Why did you want to make sure nobody else could have me?"

Logan sighs and runs his free hand through his hair.  _This is about to get ugly._  "Because…you belong to me."

Veronica gasps in outrage.

"…and Duncan…and Lilly." He finishes.

"WHAT?" Veronica digs in her heels and comes to a halt. "YOU threw ME away!"

"Veronica…" Logan stops, looking down at her and moving his hands to her shoulders to keep her from storming off. Her eyes crackle with anger at him, while her blond curls blow forward in the breeze. "I was insane with grief, and so angry I wanted somebody to suffer. Mostly, I wanted YOU to suffer...But the thought of somebody else putting their hands on you...?"

"What?" she hisses.

"It makes my stomach turn…It makes me want to vomit."

The anger flickering in Veronica's eyes fizzles down to mild annoyance.

"You don't like to share your playthings." She says, wryly, one brow arched.

"No. I don't." Logan sighs in relief.  _Crises averted…hopefully._  With his left hand, he pulls away several hairs that had blown into her shiny pink lip-gloss, while three fingers on his right hand brush against the back of her neck. "And you, my dear, are my favorite toy."

Veronica stares at Logan in amused disbelief. "This conversation is so completely dysfunctional."

"Yeah," Logan agrees, taking advantage of her amusement by pulling her into a hug, and tucking her head under his chin. Veronica stiffens for a moment and then relaxes his arms. "Are we done fighting now?" He asks.

"Our entire relationship is dysfunctional."

"Pretty much." Logan agrees.

"You act like a jealous boyfriend."

"Sometimes," he agrees again.

"Duncan never acted possessive of me like that, and he was actually my boyfriend."

"Well I'm your fiancé, and Duncan was an idiot."

"My  _pretend_  fiancé, and why exactly are we hugging? We're not hugging-friends. Anymore."

"Because you love the way I smell," he teases.

Veronica laughs and shoves him away. "Are we going to stand out here all night, or are you going to feed me?"

"Far be it from me to come between you and your dinner," Logan answers, reaching for her hand again.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Moonglow Tavern**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

The Moonglow Tavern is dimly lit, as bars tend to be, and shaped like a reversed 'L'. Upon entering through the front door, Veronica and Logan face a long espresso-colored wooden bar, which runs the length of the wall, turning left at the corner and disappearing from sight. Patrons occupy around sixty percent of the visible red vinyl barstools and several tables. Row upon row of liquor bottles line the shelves along the mirrored back wall, while stemware hangs from wooden slats near the ceiling. Tavern art – the usual suspects – covers every available surface on the walls and the lowered soffit above the bar.

The bartender, a good-looking, if rather short, sandy-blonde man in a black cowboy hat like Logan's winks at Veronica as they enter, and invites them to sit anywhere. Tall bar tables with stools fill the center floor space, while matching dark-stained and lacquered wooden booths with red vinyl seats line the entire front wall of the establishment.

Veronica led them towards the last booth in the line. Midway, the long end of the "L" opens up for them, revealing the back half of the tavern. Around the corner, three coin-operated pool tables share space with two dartboards, a pinball machine, and a jukebox that is currently playing Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Kind of Man". Wooden racks containing pool cues are attached to the right-hand wall, while the bar lines half of the left, ending at a hallway leading to the restrooms.

Veronica slides into the U-shaped corner booth, amused when voices from every area of the bar break into song at the chorus – must be an anthem song around here. She’s less amused however, when Logan parks himself immediately to her left. She sighs in annoyance, but he doesn’t get - or more likely, chooses to ignore - the hint.

"This is a big booth, Logan. You can sit there, or there, or there." She points to several places that aren’t right on top of her lap.

"But I want to sit next to my fiancée," he pouts, not giving an inch.

Veronica chooses not to argue this time. He hadn't been mistaken outside when he had claimed that she loved the way he smelled. The boy's scent is sexy.

_No…it's hardly a hardship sitting close to Logan, but we can't be letting him get a big head, can we?_

A hanging stained glass lamp in shades of red and amber casts a soft glow upon their table from above, while a candle in a red glass bowl provides ambient lighting.

Logan pulls two burgundy leather menus seemingly out of thin air, and hands one to Veronica. They glance at them in silence for a few minutes, while 'Simple Kind of Man' gave way to 'Freebird'. Veronica snickers. 'Freebird' is a song in its own category. You have to laugh when somebody plays it – there’s one in every crowd – but minutes later, you always catch yourself feeling it. By the end, you'll be silently agreeing: 'Lord no! I can't change!', followed by that embarrassing, damn-I've-been-Freebirded-again feeling after the song ends. She glanced up at Logan and catches him looking amusedly at the jukebox. When he glances back at her, they shared a smile.

"Crab legs sound good," Veronica muses, glancing down at her menu.

"Guess we won't be making-out tonight," Logan says, with an accompanying dagnabbit hand gesture.

"If you thought making out was even within the realm of possibility—" Veronica starts.

"I was kidding! Sheesh! You know, my…"

"Shellfish allergy. I get it," Veronica says.

"You remembered?" Logan looks up at her in surprise.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know, my dad's constantly trying to kill me with crab cakes and lobster. Lilly couldn't even remember most of the time."

"Well, I'm not Lilly, am I?"

"No. No you are not," Logan answers with his soft sweet eyes.

A tall, ponytailed, redhead named Honey wearing denim short-shorts and a tight blue tee shirt with the Moonglow logo stops by to take their drink orders. Logan is tripped-up by her use of the word Coke to encompass all flavors of soda, but eventually orders a Pepsi, while Veronica orders her usual Skist. Logan also places appetizer orders for deep-fried dill pickles and Veronica's favorite – mozzarella sticks.

"Deep fried dill pickles?" Veronica asks with her nose wrinkled up.

"Hey, Peggy insisted we try them, and I know for a fact that you like dill pickles."

"I'll try one, but they sound disgusting," Veronica says.

Honey brings out their drinks, a basket of dinner rolls, and two white appetizer plates, informing them that their apps will be up in a few minutes.

Veronica is in the middle of buttering one of the steaming hot rolls, when Logan takes off his hat, brushes her curls behind her left shoulder and presses a lingering kiss to the place where her neck meets her shoulder. She gasps aloud and almost drops her dinner roll as an electric surge runs through her entire body.

To an outside observer, the look she gives Logan would be one of love and devotion. Only he can hear the ice in her voice.

"What in the  _hell_  do you think you're doing?" she asks through gritted teeth.

"Marking my territory," Logan whispers, lifting his head and kissing her cheek.

"Can't you find a less…"  _intense…sexy…toe curling …_ "Physical…way of doing that?"

"You're just mad that I found your  _spot_  in my first try…" He laughs softly. "…again."

"And why exactly do you need to mark your territory?" Veronica ignores his baiting, ratcheting up her plastic smile one notch.

Logan's forehead lowers to touch hers. The faint scent of Pepsi lingers on his breath and Veronica fleetingly wonders if she would be able to taste it on his tongue.

_Stop it, Veronica!_

"Because those three guys over at the pool table think they're going to pick you up, and I'm not okay with that."

"You're crazy. I'm obviously here with you."

"And they think they can take you away from me," Logan kisses her again on the cheek – way too close to the corner of her mouth for her comfort – and pulls away replacing his hat and reaching for a roll.

Ripping off a hunk of the heavenly tasting dinner roll and popping it into her mouth, Veronica silently counts 30 Mississippi's before glancing in the direction of the pool table.

Three jean-clad men stand around the table. The oldest of the three, in his mid-forties, and currently leaning over the table to line up his shot, has dark curly hair, beginning to grow over his ears. He’s of a medium height, and not unattractive. Clean-shaven, and rugged looking, his nose has been broken at some point in the past. His plaid button-up shirt is untucked, and a smallish beer gut protrudes over his waistband. Satisfied with his angle, he pulls back on his cue, and takes his shot. The cue ball strikes the nine-ball on its left side sending it careening into the side pocket.

The youngest of the three heckles his friend as he begins lining up his next shot. Taller than the first man, and somewhere around twenty-one years old, he has blue eyes and dark hair with sideburns under his cowboy hat. He carries his lanky body with an air of insolence that reminds Veronica of Logan. Here is yet another guy who is all too aware of his effect on the ladies.

When Veronica's eyes turn to view the third man, she’s disconcerted to find him staring at her with small, dark, piggy eyes. He’s in his late thirties, barrel chested and bowlegged, his torso longer than average. His wiry strawberry blonde hair is cut into a mullet of all things.  _I understand you're business in the front, but dude, that party in the back should have ended twenty years ago._  A bushy mustache lays between his bulbous nose and his protruding upper lip.

Veronica shivers, at the man's blatant scrutiny, and turns back to Logan, touching his left cheek with her hand, while kissing his right cheek – more tenderly than she’d intended. Logan's face lights up for a moment, reminding Veronica once again of the full extent of his attractiveness. Veronica has never been a fan of cowboy hats in her life, but Logan wears it well, choosing to pair it with a plain black tee shirt and those $300 jeans that have always made his butt look so amazing.

_Yeah, I've been known to ogle him from behind. Sue me._

"See what I mean?" Logan asks, and it takes Veronica a moment to realize he’s still referring to the three men at the pool table, and not, in fact, his fine ass.

Honey arrives with their appetizers. "Are you ready to order?"

"Sure, I'll take the Moonglow Burger, and fries." Veronica says.

"Chicken-fried steak and fries." Logan says.  
  
Honey writes down their orders and walks away promising drink refills. She’s very attractive, but surprisingly, Logan's eyes don’t watch her leave.

Veronica reaches for a mozzarella stick, pouring some of the marinara sauce on her plate for dipping. Her first bite coaxes a small moan of pleasure from her throat, causing Logan's intense eyes to jump to her face.

"Mmmmm, perfect Marinara. Zesty, but not too sweet," she explains, taking a second bite of the mozzarella before reaching for her Skist.

"I thought you wanted the crab legs," Logan says.

"What, and miss the make-out?"

"Yeah, you go right ahead and joke about that."

She shivers at the intensity in his eyes, and glances away.

The jukebox begins playing the White Stripe's  _'Seven Nation Army'_

_Finally, something from this decade._

Logan hands her one of the deep-fried pickles, and Veronica eyes it dubiously. Bracing herself, she takes a bite.

"Mmmmm," she sighs with pleasure, reaching for the Ranch dressing and pouring some on her plate next to the Marinara. "Delicious!"

Logan agrees and reaches for a mozzarella stick.

"What's a chicken fried steak, anyway?" Veronica asks.

"I don't know. Peggy told me to order it." Logan says, taking a bite from his mozzarella stick. The cheese is stretchy and stubborn, so he has to chase it with his tongue. After a moment, Veronica realizes she’s becoming mesmerized by his mouth's battle with the stringy cheese, and quickly looks away, reaching for her third deep-fried pickle.

Her eyes happened to fall on creepy mullet man, reminding her of their earlier conversation. "This bar is filled with single women. Why would those guys want to go after a girl who's clearly with somebody else?"

Logan flashes her his  _you're-so-naïve_  smile, and she momentarily considers wiping her pink lip-print off his cheek. In the end, she leaves it there.

_Of course, I'm not 'pulling a Logan' and marking my territory. He can be with anybody he chooses. As long as it's not in our room._

"That's one of the reasons I like you so much, V."

"You don't like me at all."

"Right…" Logan rolls his eyes. "Well if I did like you, that would be one of the reasons. You truly have no idea."

"No idea about what?"

"That you're the prettiest girl in this room. You just take it all in stride. It's nothing big to you."

_Prettiest girl in this room? Only after you, Logan. Only after you._

Honey arrives, setting their dinners down in front of them, along with fresh drinks before disappearing again.

Veronica inspects Logan's plate curiously. A large slab of something crunchy was smothered with a thick white gravy with flakes of black pepper. Logan eyes her warily, as he cuts into the steak and finally, sighing, holds out the fork presenting the first bite to her.

Veronica pounces like a Great White, letting out a moan that puts her previous moans to shame.

"That good?" Logan asks, lifting an eyebrow.

"Bury me with chicken fried steak," she sighs dreamily.

"Sorry, but I intend to keep you alive," Logan says, "I've already lost one girlfriend."

_Ahh…slippery slopes and blurring lines, Logan. Fake fiancée. Not girlfriend._

Veronica's burger is thick, with cheddar, bacon, and a brown-sugar barbecue sauce. No doubt, it’s delicious, but Logan's food is better. "Want a bite?" she asks, with a flirtatious smile.

"No thank you," Logan's eyes tell her he knows exactly what she’s doing. He cuts off another bite and holds the fork out to Veronica, smiling at her obvious enjoyment of his food.

"Keep moaning like that, and your friends over there are going to think I'm doing naughty things to you under the table." To demonstrate, Logan runs a single finger up the outside of her jean-clad leg, causing Veronica to jump out of her skin.

"On the other hand, that can't be a bad thing," he chuckles softly, feeding her another bite of chicken fried steak before she can become irate. "Show them you're not interested."

"Why should we even care if they're interested?" she asks after swallowing the delectable crunchy bite of steak. Reaching for one of her fries, she dips it into Logan's gravy. Logan simply shakes his head in defeat. When Veronica holds up her burger for him again, he bites down into it.

"Not bad, but mine's better," Logan says, before returning to their subject. "That's exactly what I meant earlier. You don't care if they're interested."

"Why should I?" she takes a bite of her burger.

"I've had three key women in my life, and you're nothing like any of them."

"Lilly…" Veronica starts.

"Trina, and my mom," Logan finishes. "Each of them would have been preening under the attention."

"I doubt—"

"Every time I have the guys over to play cards in the pool house, mom decides to go swimming – in a string bikini. Trina always whines about it when she has her boyfriends over, but she does the same thing when my friends come by. So would Lilly."

"That's not true. Lilly knew her self-worth."

"Are you sure about that?"

Veronica pauses, considering his question carefully. "Lilly did like to be admired," she finally admits, reaching for Logan's fork, and stealing another bite of his food.

"And you don't," Logan says.

"I never said that."

"I'm not saying you  _dislike_  being admired. You just don't need male attention in order to feel good about yourself. Your self-worth seems to come from within...and that's hot."

"You're making me blush," Veronica says dryly.

Logan leans over to speak quietly into her ear. "Look over at the bar. See the blonde standing near the end in the cowboy hat?"

He isn’t trying to turn her on, but his warm breath on her ear doesn’t exactly making her feel ambivalent.

"Yeah. She's very pretty."

"She's beautiful, but check out the way she pushes her butt and boobs out. There is nothing natural about that pose. She's desperate to be noticed. I could get into her pants in five minutes."

"What's stopping you?" Veronica asks, aspiring for an air of indifference.

_Besides the sparkly pink lip-print on your cheek. He he._

"Desperation is a turn-off. Now look...oh…about four stools down from her. The little brunette."

"In the green tee shirt? She's cute."

"Right. Cute. Nowhere near as beautiful as the blonde. Simple hairdo, not a lot of makeup. No cleavage up to her chin. She's comfortable with herself. Sitting there chatting with her girlfriend, not a care in the world as to whether anyone is looking at her. I'd take her any day over that blonde, and I'd have to work much harder to get her."

"Well by all means, have at her. Sharpen your skills," Veronica says, her words clipped and accompanied by a dismissive hand gesture.

"Now who's acting like a jealous girlfriend?"

"This? Jealous?" Veronica points to her face, positive it displays nothing of the type.

From the hoots of surprise coming from the pool table, Veronica figures somebody has made a tricky shot, but she doesn’t glance in their direction.

"Yes, jealous." Logan smirks. "If you're this jealous while I'm sitting right here next to you, I'd like to see how jealous you'd be if I were over there trying to pick her up."

"Not jealous in the least." She dips another fry in Logan's gravy.

"Care to make a wager on that? Not tonight – I'm too beat up from Liam – but soon. I bet I can cause you to act like a jealous girlfriend."

"I bet I can cause you to act like a jealous boyfriend."

"Not a fair bet. That has already been established. So are we on?"

He holds out a large hand. Veronica stares at it for a moment for taking it and shaking. "We're on."

Logan smirks. "This is going to be so much fun."

Veronica realizes the music has ended when the desperate blonde rises from her place at the bar and flounces over to the jukebox. Staind's live version of 'Outside' began to play.

"So hey, if you want to go talk to that blonde…or even the brunette…" Veronica says, eying Logan's chicken fried steak. "I'm not stopping you."

Logan leans close again. "You mean, step away from the table and leave my food here to get...cold? Nope. Plus, it's bad manners to pick up girls when you're with your fiancée, whom I may have already mentioned, is the prettiest girl in this joint."

"Sweet talker!" Veronica laughs, shoving him away.

Logan grins down at the table and runs a long finger around the rim of his glass.

> **I'm on the outside, I'm lookin' in**  
>  **I can see through you, see your true colors**  
>  ' **Cause inside you're ugly, you're ugly like me**  
>  **I can see through you, See to the real you**
> 
>  

Veronica's eyes meet Logan's and a silent acknowledgment passes between them. They’ve always understood each other better than their respective partners had. They know what makes each other tick, and how to push each other's buttons. She’d loved Duncan, but they'd never shared that type of connection. She doesn’t think Logan had with Lilly, either. Her and Logan just get each other.

_20 to 1 he's thinking the same thing I am. He can see through me._

Unable to endure the intensity of Logan's gaze a second longer, Veronica returns to their earlier topic. "So what do you do when your mom acts that way?"

She watches him mentally retrace his steps to where that conversation had left off. "Squirm, I guess. Nothing is more fun than five guys standing at a window disrespecting your mother. She doesn't even understand that she's being disrespected, which makes it worse."

"Why does she do it?"

Logan runs a hand through his hair and stares blankly at the candle flame. "I think deep inside, she's aware that dad is a serial cheater. She became obsessed with her appearance when I was around eight or nine. Dad stopped looking at her, which probably made her desperate. Horny teenage boys equal guaranteed validation, I guess."

"You really love your mother." Veronica says softly.

"Of course I do." Logan turns back to face her. "She disappointments me, but I love her."

"Why is she a disappointment?"

"Um…she's kind of like Duncan in a way. When things are too difficult to deal with, she checks out."

"Maybe that's her coping mechanism…"

"I need her to be a mother, not to cope. I need her to take care of me," he responds.

"Do you miss her?"

"Not much…so far. I worry about her not having me around as a buffer for my dad."

"Why does she need a buffer for your dad?"

"Actually, I just remembered he's out of the country. She'll be fine." He cuts another bite of his meal, but concedes when Veronica stares at his fork intently attempting to mentally will it to enter her mouth.

"You think Lilly was like your mom?"

"Just in the fact that she craved male attention, but my mom is weak. Lilly was one of the strongest people I ever knew. After you."

Veronica gives him an appreciative smile as Honey arrives with fresh drinks and their check. Conversation trails off while Veronica focuses on finishing her burger, and raiding Logan's plate.

While Logan waits to pay the bill, Veronica excuses herself to go to the restroom. After washing her hands, she applies more pink lip-gloss.

_Yes, I do need shiny lips for the walk back to the motel, thank you very much. Never know who might not buy my disguise if the lips aren't sparkly enough. That's the only reason._

When she comes back out, Britney Spears' 'Toxic' is playing on the jukebox, and her mind makes the leap straight to Logan, who is in fact, dangerous, and absolutely should wear a warning.

_When did Logan become my go-to guy for song lyric comparisons? What happened to Duncan? To Troy, even? Logan and I never were, and never will be. Right?_

Lost in thoughts of a psychotic jackass, she doesn’t take care to plan her route back to the table, and ends up passing the three men playing pool.

"Hello sweetheart, can I buy you a drink?" The cocky young guy asks, in a lazy drawl the girls probably find sexy.

"No thank you," Veronica attempts to walk right past them. She almost succeeds.

"Hey baby. Why don't you ditch the pretty boy over there and try out a real man for once." The creepy mullet man says.

Veronica spins on her heel, turning back to the trio of men, her hands on her hips, and looking at them as if they are insects.

"Real man? Ohhh…I get it. You were so shortchanged in the looks department that you assume you were given a little something extra on the sexual side to make up for it, huh?"

Creepy mullet man stares at her as if she’s nuts with his little piggy eyes, while his friends point and laugh at him.

"And you think that just because my fiancé looks like a…Greek god…he must be missing something between the sheets. Is that right?"

"Well—"Mullet guy begins.

"You couldn't be more wrong." Veronica cuts him off. "Back when we were in school, my man was  _legendary_  in the bedroom. I knew all about his…skills…before I ever met him. While you were learning about sex from high school cheerleaders, my man was learning at the breasts – no pun intended – of the hottest trophy wives in Seattle."

Mullet man's companions look at each other in amusement.

"And trust me, those ladies taught him how to pleasure a woman."

The piggy eyes open wide in surprise.

"He should have a degree in Advanced Woman Pleasuring with a minor in G-Spot Archeology. A PHD, even. I would encourage him to go pro, but he's all mine, and I don't like to share."

The men are laughing aloud now.

"He has those giant hands, and trust me, he knows how to use them. You know what they say about guys with large hands, right?" Veronica rubs the back of her neck sensually, as if she’s turning herself on.

"Then there's that little  _flick-flick-twist_  thing he does with his tongue." Veronica closes her eyes and shivers all-over.  _Thank you Lilly Kane for being such an over-sharing drama queen!_

The hot younger guy leans slightly forward with his mouth slack.

"Oh." She covers her mouth as if she’s made an embarrassing faux pas, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You guys probably don't do the dirty stuff like that, right? You're real men after all.  _Real_ men don't worship at a woman's body. As long as they're barefoot and in the kitchen, right?"

They all look at each other and snort in laughter.

"I mean, as long as you get off, right? Why would you need to hear your girl screaming your name three…four…times in a session?"

Creepy Mullet Man raises an eyebrow in surprise.

"So I just have two questions for you boys." She counts off on her fingers. "One, why would I  _ever_ want to trade in my 'pretty boy' for a 'real man'? And two, how long has he been standing right behind me."

"The entire time" Mullet Man says before he and his friends explode into paroxysms of laughter. "You should have seen his face!" he chokes out.

Veronica turns around reluctantly. "Hi, baby?"

Logan is looking at her with an intensity that almost makes her knees crumple. Her hands snake around his neck as much to keep herself upright as to stay in character.  _Damn, his eyes!_  Logan's hands find her hips, squeezing, but do not attempt to pull her closer. His eyes close as his forehead drops down to touch hers. His breath sounds shaky, and to be honest, she isn’t sounding much better. She wants to say something – anything – to ease the awkwardness, but suddenly the three guys are all clapping Logan on the back and competing for the right to buy him shots.

"I appreciate the offer guys, really." He flashes them an aww-shucks grin, stepping back from Veronica. "But after hearing my girl talk about me like that, you can probably imagine why the most immediate thing on my mind right now is getting her back to our room to get started on that name screaming."

He turns back to Veronica. "Four times, baby? I told you I was exhausted that night. I promise, I'll do better tonight." He kisses the tip of her nose. "Let's go." His hand on her lower back – almost too low – guides her towards the exit, but he stops to look back over his shoulder at the three men, his voice long-suffering. "It's exhausting worshiping her body sometimes. The girl wears me out!" He smirks and then drives Veronica out the door.

Outside, the night air has become almost chilly. With most of the businesses closed down for the evening, the stars seem even brighter than they had earlier. Veronica laughs awkwardly, and holds out her hand for Logan.

"Not right now," he says, distractedly.

_Really? Aren't you the one always pressuring me to stay in character?_

Logan remains silent, and maintains a two-foot distance from Veronica as they walk. Finally, afraid that she'd badly offended him, she breaks the silence. "Are you mad at me for that?" she asks. "What I said back there?"

"No. Not at all."

"Then…why?" She gestures to the distance between them.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to, Veronica," he says.

"When have you ever known me to not want answers, Logan?"

"Trust me, this time you don't want to know."

"Logan…" she coaxes.

"Fine, but remember, you asked." Logan stops, sighs, and runs a hand through his hair. "I'm keeping my distance because I have a raging hard-on about to rip right through my jeans. Touching you, or getting closer, is probably a very bad idea right now." He gives Veronica a rueful half smile and a shrug.

"You have…?" Veronica starts.

_Keep your eyes on his face, Veronica. Do not look…OH!_

_OH…_

"Why?" she asks, and wants to kick herself for the breathless tone to her voice.

"Why?" Again, his hand sweeps through his hair. "What you just did back there? That was one of the hottest experiences in my life. Hotter than the car chase, even."

"You thought the car chase was hot?" Veronica interrupts.

"Very, but we're talking about tonight. Even knowing it was all an act. Still… to see you take down three guys like that. For me. Nobody's ever…"

His hand reaches out and touches the side of her neck. "And that shiver thing? And the screaming my name? Whether you like it or not, rotation baby."

"Oh…" Veronica exhales, a Mona Lisa smile forming on her face, and for the second time in two days, she experiences that strange sense of power over Logan.

_So this was how Lilly did her magic. This was how she'd swooped in and snagged him right out from under my nose._

"What's a flick, flick, twist?" he asks interrupting her thoughts, and Veronica fights hard to keep her cheeks from reddening. He knows exactly what she'd been implying.

"I made it up. It sounded like something Lilly would say."

"No." Logan grips her arm, deadly serious. "Not Lilly."

"Oh…" Veronica looks to the ground, still embarrassed.

"Lilly would have accepted the drinks. Then she would have made arrangements to hook up later with the young guy, and finally, she would have turned it all around and blamed it on me and my jealousy."

"Logan…"

"Lilly never would have defended me. You fucking  _eviscerated_  him, Veronica."

Her eyes rise to meet his again.

"You did it for me?" he seems compelled to ask again.

Veronica nods, unable to speak. The look on his face stuns her.

_You've seen that look from him before, Veronica. Don't misinterpret it this time. You've been hurt enough at the hands of this boy._

"Let's get back," she says, with a weak smile. "It's getting chilly out here."

Logan glances to where his hand grips her arm, and together they watch it slide down the length of her forearm until it links with the fingers on her hand. "Sure let's go," he says quietly, tugging her forward.

Logan doesn’t speak again until after they crossed the street. "So Greek god, huh?"

_He just can't leave anything alone._

"It was just the first thing to pop into my head! You don't look Greek in the least."

"But I look like a God?"

"Maybe after a few crunches," Veronica teases, waving a hand at him dismissively.


	13. Day Three - Meet the Parents

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Logan unlocks the door to their room, and heads straight for the bathroom without saying a word.

Veronica tugs off her boots, puts her wig away in her trunk, and pulls out a pair of sleep shorts to slip into once Logan comes out of the bathroom.

Eager for an opportunity to check her email, Veronica locates her computer bag and - after struggling with a stuck zipper – pulls out her laptop. She selects one of the beds, propping a pillow behind her back and plugs in her computer.

_Wow. This is actually comfy for a motel._

She hits the power button, and is waiting for the machine to boot up when she hears the sound of the shower.

_Poor Logan.  She chuckles softly.  Probably taking a cold shower._

_Yeah, right. Logan is not going to take a cold shower. Logan is going to relieve himself in the shower. What did he say about a rotation? Oh God! No visuals, Veronica! Don't even think…Damn! That was a visual._

Veronica fights hard against the images bombarding her consciousness.

_\- Logan in the shower…_

She scans for and configures the Wi-Fi connection.

_-Logan running a soapy ocean-scented hand down his chest…_

She brings up her VPN client and logs in.

_-down his abs…_

Waits for the confirmation message.

_-down…_

Types the URL for her webmail account into the address bar.

_-down…_

Waits for the site to load.

_-water streaming over his perfect body – over the flat surfaces of his back and abs, over the rounded surfaces of his ass._

Enters her User ID

_-She inhales as he touches himself…_

Enters her Password. Clicks Log In.

She fights it as hard as she can, but finally surrenders to the fantasy, closing her eyes.

_… his long fingers close around his erection, giving it a tug. She lets out a whimper, and his eyes shoot up, catching her watching. Why  is  she watching? A slow lazy smile spreads across his face and he holds her eyes, refusing to release her, while he escalates what he's started._

Veronica feels an intense tingle radiating between her legs and squeezes her thighs together as tightly as she can.

_STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT, VERONICA! STOP THINKING ABOUT  HIM!_

Veronica shoots off the bed, and begins pacing the room. From one end to the other end. Twice. Three times.

She brings up a mental image of Duncan. Safe and steady Duncan. Holding his hand at the lunch table. Kissing him in his car.

She thinks of Troy. Adorable, flirty, Troy who could care less who saw him pursuing the school pariah. Johnny Depp, perhaps?

Anything but the thought of what Logan is currently doing in that shower.

On her third pass, she notices the photos. When had Logan found the time to frame the Homecoming photos of the Fab Four from her bedroom? And why is he decorating a motel room? She shakes her head in amusement. Everything about the boy is a contradiction. Such a guy most of the time, but sometimes…Such. A. Girl.

She picks up one of the photos. Lilly had provided Veronica with copies of each of the pictures Celeste had taken. This was one of her favorites. She and Lilly huddle close together, while Duncan smiles and Logan throws his head back and laughs.

_I want to see him laugh like that again. I don't think he has since her death. Actually, he never even smiles anymore. Except for these past three days when we were going at it._

She sets down the photo and picks up the second, a photo of Logan and Duncan on the beach, barefoot with their pants rolled up like millionaire versions of Tom and Huck.

 

 

**Flashback - September, 2003**  
**Homecoming Night**  
**Crescent Beach**  
**Neptune, California**

 

**Mama, just killed a man**  
**Put a gun against his head**  
**Pulled my trigger, now he's dead**

 

_" I say it every time, Duncan. When the singing begins, the drinking ends." Logan complains, trying to snatch away Duncan's champagne bottle._

_" No Logan, don't stop him," Lilly pleads. "I'm getting it all on tape this time."_

**Mama, life has just begun**  
**But now I've gone and thrown it all away**

**Mama…whoooooo**

_" Wow, Duncan," Logan laughs. "That's quite a falsetto you have there."_

_" Ha!" Duncan says. "You haven't seen falsetto yet." He changes songs._

**Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,**  
**I'm a woman's man, no time to talk.**

 

_" The Bee Gees?" Veronica snorts, while Logan holds his hands over his ears as if in pain._

_Duncan doesn't get the hint and continues with the song, adding in dance movements circa 1978._

_" John Travolta ain't got nothing on you, DK," Logan taunts._

_" Let's see your moves, Logan," Lilly demands, shoving her boyfriend towards her brother._

_" Whatever. You couldn't pay me to dance to Duncan's awful drunken singing!"_

_" Yeah, but we can dare you," Veronica challenges._

_" So this is a dare?" Logan flashes his ornery smile, and goes to stand on Duncan's left._

 

**Whether you're a brother**  
**Or whether you're a mother,**  
**You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.**  
**Feel the city breakin'**  
**And ev'rybody shakin'**  
**And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.**

 

_Duncan is hitting his stride, doing slide steps (as well as he can on the sand), hand rolls, and the infamous point to the sky._

_Logan takes a minute to pick up Duncan's moves, then – as usual – the student surpasses the master. Logan has always been graceful, and he's twice the ham that Duncan is._

_Suddenly, the two undisputed kings of Neptune High are dancing around on the beach like a couple of spazzes while their girlfriends howl with laughter._

**Ah, ha, ha, ha,**  
**Stayin' alive.**  
**Stayin' alive.**  
**Ah, ha, ha, ha,**  
**Stayin' alivvvvvvvve.**

 

_They're doing synchronized Travolta side hip-thrusts when Veronica snaps the picture._

 

Veronica sighs and runs her thumb lovingly over one of the faces in the photo. After a moment's hesitation, she repeats the gesture for the second face, and returned the photo to the dresser.

_My boys. I never thought things would ever change._

The third photo – one of herself and Lilly – is even more painful.

 

**Flashback - September, 2003**  
**Homecoming Night**  
**Crescent Beach – Neptune, California**

 

_" Guys…Can't…Breathe!" Veronica cries from the center of a tangle of arms. She isn't sure how hugging her wonderful – virgin! – boyfriend has turned into a group hug, but she secretly loves it. After her father, Veronica loves these three more than anything. Being in their arms is the best place in the world._

_Duncan is the first to let go, asking, "Whose turn is it anyway?"_

_" I can't remember," Logan replies, pulling back. "I'll go. I've never…Damn…why can't I think of anything I've never done?"_

_" Because you're a slut," his girlfriend answers affectionately._

_Veronica takes a turn. "I've never…prank-called a teacher just to hear his voice."_

_" Never did that," Logan notes._

_" Oh my god! I can't believe you told them that!" Lilly squeals, taking a long drink of champagne._

_" Which teacher?" Duncan asks._

_" Mr. Rooks. Who cares? He's totally hot! And now it's my turn, Veronica," Lilly’s grin is evil._

_" Dare! Dare!" Veronica yells._

_" Wrong game, Veronica!" Logan laughs. "You already tried to pull that one earlier, anyway."_

_Lilly inhales dramatically, ready to let loose. "I never…"_

_Three sets of eyes turn to her in anticipation, but her mischievous eyes are on Veronica. "I never…rubbed MammoMax on my boobs to make them grow."_

_" Well thank God for that," Logan says. "I already wake up all the time from suffocation nightmares."_

_" You. Are. So. Dead." Veronica growls, her eyes narrowing dangerously._

_" First you have to catch me!" Lilly laughs, pulling her dress up to her knees and taking off running down the shoreline._

_Veronica drops her shoes, lifts up her dress, and takes off after her best friend. Right as she is about to catch up, Lilly freezes, causing Veronica to run right past her. She ducks and weaves and runs back in the direction from which they came, Veronica right behind her. As they approach the boys, Logan tries to corner Lilly, but she twists away and runs out into the surf with Veronica on her heels._

 

The photo shows Veronica and Lilly running through the waves at the moment Veronica reaches out to grab Lilly by the wrist. Their moonlit faces are laughing and flushed from the exertion, as their hair blows behind them in the wind.

Veronica's smile is bittersweet as she sets down the photo. It had been the last time she and Lilly had ever played like children.

The final photo is a candid of herself and Logan in the limo. She still remembers the moment that photo was taken.

 

**Flashback - September, 2003**  
**Homecoming Night**  
**Neptune, California**

 

_" Veronica…Truth or Dare?" Lilly's voice calls out._

_" Truth," Veronica answers, not willing to risk one of Lilly's dares._

_Lilly's eyes twinkle in satisfaction, and Veronica instantly regrets her choice. What is Lilly planning? "I meant Dare," she says. "Definitely, dare."_

_" Too late, you picked Truth," Lilly giggles. "Veronica, who was your first crush?"_

_Veronica's stomach drops. - Don't look at Logan. Whatever you do, do NOT look at Logan.-_

_" Casey Gant, seventh grade," she replies carefully._

_" Liar," Lilly accuses, looking pointedly at Veronica with disappointment. "I wasn't asking for your second crush. I wanted your first  secret  crush."_

_" I'm not lying!" Veronica insists, blushing and unable to look Lilly in the eyes. Duncan's eyes are skeptical as well and she doesn't dare look at Logan._

_Veronica has never discussed it with another living person. Lilly can't possibly know. Right?_

_" Oh, just admit it, Ronnie." Logan says, sliding closer to her and throwing an arm around her shoulder –God he smells amazing – "You fell for the old Echolls' charm, and I stole your heart one hot fudge sundae at a time."_

_Veronica can't resist the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth._

_–  Thanks for the save, Logan!—_

_She touches her heart with her left hand, and Logan's cheek with her right, speaking melodramatically as a camera flash goes off in her peripheral vision. "Drats! You've caught me, Logan! And I thought I was hiding my secret passion for you so well."_

_Lilly's eyes are sparkling with self-satisfaction when Veronica turns back around. Minutes later, she asks Logan what he thought about Veronica when he first met her._

_\- Is she trying to give me a heart attack tonight?—_

_Veronica pretends to be disgraced when Logan admits he thought she was hot at twelve, but the butterflies in her tummy take flight._

_-He thought I was hot! But not hot enough, I guess.—_

_Before she knows it, Lilly is bestowing her first and only girl kiss, and the moment has been broken._

 

Veronica smiles sadly, and sets the picture down on the dresser. How she wishes Lilly was around today to interrogate her. She would answer any question – even that one – if only to have her back.

She changes out of her jeans, since Logan will be in the bathroom for a while, and then sits back down on the bed and picks up her laptop. Before checking her email, she brings up tracking software, and enters a serial number. The tiny blip in the screen shows that Liam Fitzpatrick's Barracuda is within ten miles of where she'd abandoned it on the freeway. She wonders whether it had been impounded, or if Liam had it towed to a garage.

There’s an email from her father waiting in her web mail account.

From: km911@gmail.com

Subject: Grounding

To: vm911@gmail.com

Darling daughter of mine,

You're grounded until you're 40. Make that 45. What were you thinking going after the Fitzpatricks all by yourself? I'm going to end up in an early grave worrying about you.

On the bright side, Lamb doesn't seem inclined to organize a manhunt for you three. On the dark side, we both can guess at his motivation.

I've started an investigation into Liam Fitzpatrick, but he's fallen off the grid. There have been no sightings of him since you disappeared.

I'm highly concerned about you roaming the country with those two boys. Duncan Kane is flat-out dangerous, Veronica, and don't think I'm not aware of the way Logan turned against you. How could you possibly think that traveling with those boys could be a good idea?

Veronica, it is taking all of my self-control not to come searching for you. Don't make me regret this decision.

Love always,

Dad

Veronica smiles wistfully, missing her father terribly. She has to find some way to get Liam Fitzpatrick off the streets, so that she can go back home.

 

_And why does the idea of going home give me a pang of regret?_

Sighing, she starts an email for her father.

From: vm911@gmail.com

Subject: I'm sorry

To: km911@gmail.com

Dad,

I am so sorry for what happened. I should never have taken that case on my own. I was over my head, and now I've ruined three lives.

Liam has fallen off the grid because he's been chasing us across the country. I have to hand it to you, you weren't kidding that those evasive driving lessons would come in handy. I've planted a tracker on Liam's car, so he won't be getting close to us again. We've videotaped him threatening our lives and chasing us in a car, but unfortunately, criminal threatening is only a misdemeanor, and the chase video didn't pick up Liam's face. We won't be able to prove that he was driving the chase car. We're going to need something bigger to put him away.

Duncan hasn't been any danger to me. He's been out of it the entire time. And Logan has been surprisingly amazing. Who would have guessed that he could be almost as protective as you are? Having him around is the only thing that makes me feel safe. We're going to be okay, dad, I promise. I can't tell you where we're going, but I'll check in every chance that I can get.

Please keep searching for dirt on Liam. I miss you so much. I also miss Wallace, so can you create a web mail account for him and explain how to contact me without being traced?

Love,

Your darling daughter, Veronica

Veronica re-reads her email, and then remembers to send him the phone number for the prepaid cell Weevil had picked up for them. Satisfied, she hits send.

Veronica glances up and then quickly looks away as the bathroom door opens. Logan comes out wearing only a towel around his waist. She brings up Google, but can’t think of anything to search for. It feels very different being alone with Logan in a motel room, versus when Duncan had been with them. A palpable tension lingers between them. An awareness.

The sound of a dresser drawer opening draws her attention again, and she watches as Logan selects a pair of boxers and slides them on under his towel. She quickly looks back at her laptop when Logan's eyes find hers in the mirror. An image of Logan's sex-tape flashes in her mind and she squeezes her eyes closed. She doesn’t look back up until he bounces onto the bed next to her.

"Whatcha doing?" he asks.

"Nothing," she replies, stiffly.

"I can see that. Enjoying that Google logo?"

"It's pleasant and colorful."

"What's wrong? Is it because of earlier? You can relax; I took care of that in the shower."

Veronica covers her face with her hands and makes a noise that sounds somewhere between crying and hysterical laughter.

"What? I'm a guy! It's perfectly normal."

"Too. Much. Information!"

She lowers her hands from her face to find him staring at her with amusement.

_I'm glad you're amused. Is this your latest method of torturing me?_

"You can't  _even_  tell me that you don't do it too, Veronica."

"Logan…"

"Do you have a certain fantasy you think of when—"

"LOGAN STOP!"

He laughs softly, his eyes twinkling and unapologetic. His wet hair is sticking up in every direction, and she wants reach out and fix it. Instead, she snaps at him. "Put some damn clothes on already,"

"Yes ma'am," he mock salutes her. As he starts to rise, Veronica puts her hand on his shoulder.

_His bare, muscled – did I mention naked? – shoulder._

"Wait a sec," she says, and leans over to examine the largest cut on his ribs, her fingers ghosting across his skin. "You're going to need some more peroxide and Neosporin on that cut."

Logan smirks and lays back down, his arms crossed behind his head. "Be gentle with me, Florence Nightingale."

"Do it yourself!" Veronica says, shoving him away.

"Okay, but if I get gangrene…" Logan says, getting up and heading to the bathroom.

Veronica sighs and hopes that her father finds something on Liam soon so that they can go back home and life can go back to normal.

_But 'normal' means Logan hating me. Can I live with that again after these past three days?_

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Lakeview Court Motel**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

After cleaning and dressing his wound, Logan throws on a tee shirt, and flops down next to Veronica on the bed, to see what she’s doing on her computer. She still wears her layered tanks from earlier with a pair of striped boxers, and her hair is pulled back in those cute little pigtails he loves so much.

"Can you please go sit on your own bed?" Veronica asks without looking up from her computer.

"Why did it suddenly get icy cold in here?"

Veronica shrugs and won’t meet his eyes.

"Come on, I thought we were friends again."

Veronica's eyes are flinty when she looks up at him. "That's the problem. We shouldn't even try."

"What?! Why not?" he asked, not trying to hide his hurt.

_Why is she acting like this? What happened between dinner and now?_

"Because I remembered what "normal" is, Logan. My dad is working to put Liam behind bars so that we can come home. And when we get home, things will go back to normal."

"Isn't that what you want?" he asks.

"Normal is you hating me, and I'm going to have to lose you all over again. So what's the point in even trying?" She avoids his eyes, her words coming out in a stream as she closes her laptop, setting it on the far nightstand.

"Veronica…"

"I've been almost having fun with you Logan. Enjoying your company, and your sarcasm. And it's just going to make it hurt that much more when you flip back to jackass mode."

"I don't plan to flip back."

"Were you planning to flip the first time? Did you plot it out in your evil schemes journal? With graphs? And diagrams? A flowchart, perhaps?"

"It's completely different this time."

"How?"

_Because I've woken up wrapped around you for the past two mornings. Because I've held your hand about twenty times in the past couple days, and I want to keep doing it – in Texas, in Florida, or in Neptune, California. Because you defended me to those guys. For me. Nobody in my life has ever defended me. Not my escapist mother. Not my psychotic father. Not my flaky sister. And not my cheating girlfriend. Only you._

_Because we finally work together. We fit._

He blows out a puff of air. "I'm not angry anymore. Back then, I felt this need – compulsion – to hurt you. Now all I want to do is to keep you safe."

Veronica's mask drops for a moment – revealing a glimmer of hope on her face – then morphs into wariness.

"And when we get home and you don't need to keep me safe anymore?"

"Well for one, I don't see us ever going home. They'll never catch that crafty bastard. But, if by some miracle, we are able to go home? I'm still going to worry about keeping you safe. Now that I know what you've been up to this past year, Invincible Veronica Mars." He taps the tip of her nose. "Somebody needs to keep an eye on you."

_I see a hint of a smile. I'll get her to thaw._

"Look me in the eyes, V. Am I lying to you?"

Her blue-green eyes inspect his. "Ah. . . em . . . I don't know."

"Yes you do. You need to start trusting your instincts again. You know me better than almost anyone. Am I lying to you?"

"No," she exhales, as if the word has been forcefully pulled from her.

"No, I'm not." Logan smiles softly. "We make a good team, Veronica. Brawn and brains."

"You forgot beauty," Veronica says.

"Why, thank you! Good genes, I guess."

"I was talking about me, you dork."

"Oh…I just thought…well you did call me a Greek God earlier."

"Ass!" Veronica laughs and shoves at his shoulder.

Logan puts his arm around her and squeezes. "So we're good now? Friends?"

"Yeah," Veronica agrees softly with a shy smile.

"I don't want to be friends like we were before," Logan says.

Veronica's eyes narrows and she tenses under his arm.

"No. What I mean is, I like what we have now."

"How so?" Veronica tilts her head.

"The snark. The bickering."

She raises an eyebrow.

"It just works for us, don't ya think? It's a lot more fun than putting you on a pedestal."

"You never put me on a pedestal." Veronica rolls her eyes.

"I always put you on a pedestal. You were good and pure, and untouchable."

Veronica snorts. "And now? I'm damaged goods or something?"

"Well you're definitely touchable," he says in a soft, honeyed tone. The hand that’s around her shoulder skims down her bare arm to her wrist, fingertips barely brushing her skin.

Veronica shivers all over, and Logan laughs softly.

_That will never get old._

 

C-NOW NEWS - ALL NEWS ALL DAY

[Logo fades to an enhanced still of Logan carrying Veronica away from the scene of the crime]

 

"They're still using that stupid shot that makes me look like a sap," Logan complained.

 

 

**ANCHOR:**  Next up, we go to Ann Marler in Neptune, California.

[Split screen displays showing the news anchor on the left half. The right half shows Ann Marler at an unidentifiable location]

**ANCHOR:**   Ann, what can you tell us about the footage we're about to see?

**MARLER:**  The video you're about to see was taken by Madison Sinclair, a student at Neptune High School. She was the last person to see Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars before they disappeared.

[Split screen changes to a single screen showing Logan and Veronica in the accessories department at Target.]

**ANCHOR:**  I understand that this footage was taken at a Super Target on the outskirts of Neptune, California.

**MARLER:**  That is correct.

[The video footage shows Veronica holding up several pairs of sunglasses to Logan's face. Logan tries on several hats, does a little spin-step that makes Veronica laugh, and then adds some accessories to the cart.]

**ANCHOR:**  Were you able to identify any of their purchases from the video?

**MARLER:**  Unfortunately, the video was made with a cell phone. Attempts to enhance the footage were unsuccessful.

[The video footage shows Veronica comparing two unknown products. In the background, Logan reaches for a small box and slips it into his cart, stashing it under a stack of clothing. After a moment, he grabs a second, stashing it as well. Finally, he shrugs, turns back, and grabs all of the boxes from the rack – six...seven…eight of them, stashing them all at the bottom of his cart.]

 

Veronica looked at Logan and laughed. "What are all those little boxes? I don't remember seeing anything like that."

"Condoms," Logan shrugs.

"EIGHT boxes worth? Planning on having a lot of sex?"

"Um…yeah," he says in a  _well-duh_  voice.

"So much for not wanting to be a man-whore anymore," Veronica sighs, rolling her eyes and shaking her head distastefully.

"Maybe I'll use them all on the same girl, genius. Maybe you'll end up using them with a guy." _-_ Over my dead body!-  "Maybe Duncan will." _-_ _But not with you.-_  "You'll thank me when you're feeling horny."

Veronica glares at him. "Not going to happen."

_Oh please! Anyone who fights as passionately as you do gets horny. Probably fairly often. ...I can hope._

 

[The video footage shows Logan and Veronica at the checkout. Veronica covers his eyes with her hands. After which, Logan lifts up a bra and examines it. Veronica slaps his hand.]

 

"I still think you should model that one for me," Logan suggests.

"I still think you're delusional."

 

[The video footage shows Logan and Veronica leaving the store. He ruffles her hair and kisses her on the forehead. Video fades to split screen with the anchor on the left side and Ann Marler on the right.]

 

"We look like we're really together," Veronica observes. "Although I suppose that's the effect we were aiming for."

"I think we look great together," Logan says under his breath.

 

 

**ANCHOR:**   Ann, I understand that you interviewed the parents of Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars this evening.

**MARLER:**   Yes Dorothy, I had the chance to sit down with Lynn Echolls and Keith Mars earlier this evening.

**ANCHOR:**  And how were they handling the disappearances of their children.

**MARLER:**  They were both worried and shaken, as would be expected.

**ANCHOR:**  Let's go to the tape.

[Split screen is replaced by a studio set with a white chair, occupied by Ann Marler, and a matching sofa occupied by Keith Mars and Lynn Echolls. Keith wears a plaid button down, and Lynn wears a chic suit in a pale mauve.]

**MARLER:**  I'd like to thank you both for agreeing to this exclusive interview. Are you two acquainted with each other?

**LYNN:**   (warmly)  Oh yes, I've known Keith for years. Our children used to be…

**KEITH:**   (also warm)  Friends.

**MARLER:** (to Lynn)  I understand your husband, Aaron Echolls, couldn't be here tonight.

**LYNN:**  He's in the Czech Republic filming his next movie:  Inferno of Retribution , Although he is unable to return home due to contractual obligations, he's still concerned about our son and his friends.

**MARLER:** (to Keith)  Where is Veronica's mother?

**KEITH:**   (sadly)  My wife, Lianne, left town in January.

**MARLER:**  Has she contacted you since Veronica's disappearance?

**KEITH:** (sighing)  No, she has not.

 

Logan peeks at Veronica out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes are hard, and her lips are tight.

"Sorry about your mom," he says. "She should hook up with my dad, and together they could achieve unsurpassed levels of parental unconcern."

"He'd have to lure her away fr—" She trails off.

_Lure her away from whom? Wonder what that's all about?_

 

**MARLER:**  Why do you think your children ran away instead of going to the police?

**LYNN:**  Logan can be very… protective…of the people he loves. He's been protecting Duncan since they were five years old.

**KEITH:**  Veronica said that they were leaving out of fear of Fitzpatrick retaliation, not fear of prosecution.

**MARLER:**  So you're in contact with Veronica?

**KEITH:**  She sent me an e-mail before she left. When I tried to respond, I received an e-mail bounce notice.

**MARLER:**  I understand you were in Colorado when Ciaran Fitzpatrick attempted to rape your daughter. Do you often leave your daughter home alone?

**KEITH:**   (sighing guiltily)  I left town because I had a lead on a bail jumper. Yes, I do leave my daughter home alone on occasion to bring home bail jumpers. It's tough being a single father with only one marketable skill. We had to sell our home and move into an apartment. Collecting bounties is my main source of income. Veronica has had to grow up very quickly in the past year, but she has always been a very responsible and resourceful girl.

**MARLER:**  When did Veronica start working at your detective agency, and what are her job duties?

**KEITH:**  Veronica had already become a loner when I opened the agency last January. She tried to hide it from me, but I know that all of her friends turned against her because of my actions in the Lilly Kane investigation. She came to work for me right away, answering the phones and doing database research.

**MARLER:**  She eventually graduated to field work?

**KEITH:**  Some girls dream of being an actress when they grow up. Others want to be singers, veterinarians, and mothers. Since Veronica was a small child, she's wanted to be an F.B.I. agent, and she's never wavered in that determination. She's an amazing investigator, and she has great instincts. A couple months after opening the agency, I agreed to allow her to do basic low-risk stakeouts.

**MARLER:**  Would you have considered Veronica's actions of a few days ago a basic low-risk stakeout?

**KEITH:**  Absolutely not. If I had been in town, I would have forbidden her from getting anywhere near that case. The client had offered an unusually large paycheck, and Veronica may have believed that the risk would be worth the reward. It would have paid the rent for several months.

**MARLER:**   Mrs. Echolls, do you feel any resentment or blame towards Veronica for dragging your son into this disaster?

**LYNN:**  Do I blame Veronica? Absolutely not! She was a victim. There is absolutely no excuse for violence against women. But, to be honest, I adore Veronica, and I'm proud of my son for being there for her when she needed him.

 

Veronica silently thanks Logan with her eyes, and Logan nods back.

 

**MARLER:**  Do you have any idea where the kids could be headed?

**LYNN:**  I have no idea.

**KEITH:**  I have no leads as of now.

**MARLER:**  What are they doing for money?

[Lynn begins to speak, but Keith shoots her a warning glance]

**KEITH:**  We don't know. They may have some cash.

**MARLER:**  Why does your daughter fear retaliation from the Fitzpatrick family?

**KEITH:**  When people go up against Liam Fitzpatrick, they have a tendency to disappear. During my tenure as sheriff, seven different disappearances were linked to Liam Fitzpatrick, but we never were able to find enough evidence to convict him. My daughter referenced these disappearances in her email. She and the boys left because they fear for their lives.

**MARLER:**   You both saw the video of your children at Target. Their schoolmates claim that they're enemies, but in the video Logan and Veronica appeared to be very friendly.

**LYNN:**  Logan and Veronica were very close friends for three years. This last year – since the death of Logan's girlfriend, Lilly Kane – has been very hard for him. His friendship with Veronica was one of the first casualties, but I don't think they could be called enemies. I know that Logan held on to all of the souvenirs of their friendship, such as photos, notes and cards in a small box in his closet. That's not something an enemy would do. I imagine it was instinctual for them to fall into their old ways once they were back on the same side.

**MARLER:**  Did the notes provide any clues as to where they could be heading?

**Lynn:**  No, they were the typical notes kids pass in class, about their teachers and their friends.

 

"You kept the notes?" Veronica asks.

Logan shrugs noncommittally.

_Thanks a lot, mom. Now the entire world knows I'm a sentimental sap._

 

**MARLER:**  Both Madison Sinclair and Jake Kane claim that Logan and Veronica are dating – actually admitted to dating. Is that true?

**KEITH:**  No, Veronica went on a date with another boy from school the night before she disappeared.

**LYNN:**   I don't think so. Logan only just broke up with  (a look of distaste crosses her face)  another girl last week. A mother can hope, though.

**MARLER:**  Are you saying you would be happy if Logan and Veronica were dating?

**LYNN:** (giggling)  Of all the girls – both friends and girlfriends – Logan has had to our house over the years, Veronica was always my favorite. I think she would be great for him.

 

"Oh my God," Logan says, running a hand through his hair. "We're being 'shipped by my mom now?"

"What does 'shipped mean?" Veronica asks.

"Never mind." Logan shakes his head, both embarrassed and amused.

 

**MARLER:**   Mr. Mars, do you share Mrs. Echolls hope that your children are dating?

**KEITH:** (looking uncomfortable)  Umm…Well…I…"

[Lynn chuckles softly and puts a hand on Keith's knee reassuringly.]

**LYNN:** It's OK, Keith. It's harder with a daughter and I know Logan can be a bit…difficult.

**KEITH:** (his eyes thanking Lynn for the 'save')  Logan can be reckless and impulsive, and has no respect for authority – not the top qualities a man wants in a date for his daughter.

 

"Guess we shouldn't start planning the wedding just yet," Logan mutters.

 

**KEITH:**   On the other hand, Logan can be very brave and loyal. And with Logan Echolls, what you see is what you get – even if it's usually sarcasm. As annoying as it can be when he refuses to kiss-up to authority figures, it's also a relief. You know he's not going to turn into another person the moment you turn your back.

**LYNN:**   (amused)  That sounds like my Logan.

**MARLER:**  So you wouldn't be opposed to Logan dating your daughter.

**KEITH:**   (Putting hands up in protest)  I didn't say that. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

**MARLER:**  And what about Duncan Kane.

**KEITH:**   (stiffly) That, I would be opposed to.

 

Logan and Veronica look at each other again. Veronica shrugs.

_Looks like Jake Kane isn't the only parent that doesn't want Veronica and Duncan together. Wonder what happened there?_

 

**MARLER:**   Mr. Mars, what caused the rift between the Mars and Kane families? Rumors say that there were issues even before the Lilly Kane investigation.

**KEITH:**  No comment. Let's leave the past in the past. I'm here to discuss my daughter's disappearance.

**MARLER:**  Okay, Is there anything else you'd like to say to your children?

**KEITH:**   Veronica, I'm working on it. We'll find a way to get you back home safely. I promise you, and I love you. I need you to err on the side of caution. Avoid unnecessary risks. Eat something other than ice cream. And don't forget your education – find some way to study, even if you don't have a teacher. I love you Veronica.

**LYNN:**  Logan, I love you very much, and I'm proud of you for being such a good friend. Stay safe, and hopefully we can get you back home soon.

**MARLER:**  So you don't advise them to turn themselves in?

**KEITH:** (quietly, looking straight at the camera)  No. I think if they turned themselves in, they would meet with an 'accident' before they ever made it back to Neptune.

**MARLER:**  Are you insinuating corruption in the Sheriff's Department?

**KEITH:**  That is exactly what I'm insinuating.

**MARLER:**  Is there any way that you're saying that because you were forced out of office?  
  
**KEITH:**  No. If my replacement were competent, I would advise Veronica to turn herself in immediately.

**MARLER:**  I would like to thank you both for agreeing to this interview. All of us at C-NOW sincerely hope your children come home to you safely. Back to you, Dorothy.

[Studio shot is replaced by shot of anchor.]

**ANCHOR:**  Thank you, Ann. Stick with C-NOW for up to the minute updates on this story and others. Next, Lindsey Lohan spotted at the Galleria arguing with Dina over her next film.

 

Logan slides between the crisp white sheets, while Veronica prepares for bed in the bathroom. He becomes inexplicably nervous when he hears the water turn off.

_Like a virgin on his wedding night._

Logan had come out of the womb knowing how to talk to girls. He doesn’t even have to be nice to them to have them eating out of his hand, although he doesn’t see any point in being rude. Even Lilly, who he'd loved and worshiped, who had cheated and broken his heart, had never made him nervous.

That sole honor belongs to Veronica Mars. She'd been twisting him in knots for years, and shows no signs of stopping now.

The bathroom light turns off, and his heart pounds as she steps out of the room.

"So…are you sleeping with me tonight?" he asks nonchalantly.

"No…well since Duncan isn't here, and we have two beds…" she shrugs and pulls back the blanket on the other bed, climbing in, and turning to face him.

He does a passable job of hiding his disappointment. "Oh...I just thought…if you were worried about having nightmares…I'm here."

Her eyes lift to his as he reaches for the wall switch to turn of the sconce.

"I'll be fine, Logan. But thank you for offering." Veronica says, and he can see that she’s grateful.

"No problem." He gives her a small, reassuring smile, and turns off the light.

 

* * *

**Day Three**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

"Logan," Veronica whispers, kneeling down on Logan's bed, sitting back on her heels. It’s 1:43 A.M., and she feels guilty for disturbing his sleep.

Nothing.

"Logan." Veronica whispers again nudging his shoulder.

"Hmmm? Veronica?" His voice is sleepy.

"I'm sorry for waking you up so late. Does your offer still stand?"

"What offer?"

"I had another nightmare," Veronica admits, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. It had been worse than the last one – Ciaran had held her down, while Liam attempted to rape her.

Logan opens his arms wide. "Get over here."

Veronica smiles in the dark, and lays down on her side with her back to Logan. His arms wrap around her, pulling her snug against his warm chest, and adjusting the blanket over them both. She closes her eyes and breathes in safety and contentment, and something else she can’t name...or isn’t  _prepared_  to name.

"I've got you, Veronica. You're safe," he whispers, lifting up enough to kiss her on the cheek, before dropping his head back to the pillow and swiftly falling back to sleep.

_Safe._


	14. Day Four - All Eyes On Me In The Center Of The Ring Just Like a Circus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skip Logan's daydream if you're easily offended. My mind is a very strange place sometimes.

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Spooning...such a silly word for such a warm and fuzzy feeling.

The sun has not yet risen, and Logan's arms wrap Veronica in a warm cocoon.

She glances at the alarm clock - 5:12 AM. Too early to wake up, but she needs to extricate herself from his grasp. This  _thing_  going on between her and Logan – whatever it is – can not possibly be healthy. What kind of masochist casts her chief tormentor in the role of her emotional security blanket? But…God help her, he makes her feel safe. Irony, thy name is Veronica Mars.

One week ago, were somebody to tell her the only touch she would be able to stomach would be Logan Echolls', she would have exploded in laughter.

Had the same person told her Logan's touch would actually make everything better, she would have questioned their sanity. This makes no sense, whatsoever. Yet, somehow, it just…is. Logan has become her safe place. She needs him.

Upon further reflection, Veronica realizes that this isn’t the first time he's cast himself in the role of her hero.

* * *

 

 

**Flashback - April 2003**  
**Veronica**  
**Dog Beach**  
**Neptune, California**

 

_Veronica takes a tentative sip from the red Solo cup her best friend hands her. The bitter taste of the beer is not one she enjoys, but it's not worth debating with Lilly. Instead, she will discreetly pour out a bit when Lilly isn't looking. Veronica is known for nursing her drinks, so it will be a while before Lilly starts pressuring her to drink another. If only there were champagne or some of those fruity mixed concoctions Logan makes for her, she would be a bit more willing to indulge, but this is a beach bonfire party with a keg, so her choices are beer...or beer._

_Around the fire, Dick's pickup is parked at seven o'clock; the kegs at eight o'clock, Casey's convertible is at nine o'clock. At ten o'clock, Veronica and Lilly are perched on the hood of Logan's big yellow X-Terra. Lilly is dressed in short shorts and a white cami with flip-flops, despite the somewhat nippy air. Veronica wears a lightly embroidered summer-weight turquoise twin-set with tan capris and sandals. Duncan loves her in this color, so she has been gradually adding it to her wardrobe._

_She catches Duncan's eye and smiles across the fire at her adorable boyfriend as he argues with Logan about the plot of some sci-fi film she's never seen and never intends to. Poor Duncan can't win. Logan thinks he's the end-all/be-all of movie trivia, and he will argue his point until his last breath._

_The inner-circle hovers nearest the center: the Fab Four, Dick and Beaver, Casey, Luke, Sean and Enbom, Madison, Shelly, Carrie and Susan, and Caitlin Ford. Other 09ers and the hangers-on expand outward._

_A shadow falls upon Veronica, before Logan hops up on the hood of his truck, playfully bumping Veronica's hip to scoot her closer to Lilly and make room for him._

_"So anyway…" Lilly is saying, "I totally wasted my magnificent cleavage on him, and he still gave me a speeding ticket! Doesn't he understand how things work around here? Deputy Lamb needs to go! Can't you get your father to fire him?"_

_"Don't I wish?" Veronica answers, distracted by Logan's clean scent, which always manages to transport her back in time to the day she'd woken up next to him - butterflies and all._

_She shakes her head to clear it of such traitorous thoughts. Where has Duncan disappeared to? There he is, chatting with Enbom over near the pile of driftwood._

_"We need dirt on him," Lilly is saying, and it takes a moment for Veronica to realize she's still complaining about Deputy Lamb._

_"I'll take him down for you, Lils. Someday, when I'm a famous FBI agent and you're a…" Veronica trails off. "What  do  you plan on doing with your life, anyway, Lilly?"_

_Logan and Lilly both laugh. "Lilly? Work for a living?" Logan teases._

_"I wasn't cut out for the 9-to-5, Veronica."_

_"You have to do something, Lilly," Veronica prods. "You'd be bored sitting around eating bon-bons."_

_"No, I'm not a bon-bon type of girl. What I want…is to live a life worthy of a best-selling memoir. A scandalous memoir about the decadent things I've done with very, very important people. My mother would never be able to leave the house again."_

_Veronica senses Logan tensing up at her right shoulder, as he slides off the hood of his truck._

_He addresses Lilly coldly, "You're in the wrong place tonight, Lilly. No important people to fuck here. Although, Enbom might meet your requirements in a few years." He lingers for a moment, eyes begging her to reassure him, and then storms off, furious, when she doesn't._

_Veronica rounds on her best friend, ready to give her an earful, but is surprised to see the sadness in Lilly's eyes as she watches Logan stalk away in a snit._

_Quietly Veronica probes her friend, "You hurt him on purpose, Lilly."_

_"I just don't know how many ways I need to prove to him that we're not a forever kind of love. He can't seem to get the picture."_

_"He loves you, Lilly. He doesn't want to imagine a future without you."_

_"That's just it, Veronica." Lilly says, turning to face her friend. "I don't think he  is  that much in love with me. He's just too damn stubborn. To him, letting go is admitting defeat."_

_"How can you say that, Lilly? I've never known anybody as loving as Logan is, especially when it comes to you."_

_Lilly tilts her head, examining Veronica's face. "You're right. Logan has so much love to give, but he's trying to give it to the wrong girl. I am not 'the one', but he just won't see that. He really is a great boyfriend, Veronica. I'm just not cut out to be a devoted girlfriend."_

_"Why do you stay with him if you don't want to have a future with him? You're only hurting him."_

_"I know. I keep breaking up with him for his own good. I just have a hard time staying away."_

_"Shouldn't that tell you something? You love him too."_

_" No," Lilly shakes her head at Veronica's naivete. "It tells me that I can't give up the amazing sex." Her eyes bore into Veronica's. "When he finally ends up with 'the one', she's going to be one lucky girl. The boy is a sex god and he's just getting' started."_

_Veronica turns away, covering her ears. "Too. Much. Information. Lil."_

_Lilly giggles, prying Veronica's hands off her ears and leaning close to whisper. "He'll always put you first. He won't even think about himself until after he's satisfied you."_

_"Lilly!"_

_"He'll study your every reaction. Every gasp. Every sigh. Every shiver. And he'll adjust accordingly, always trying to become a better lover. He'll tease you until you want to scream, and then fuck you until you want to thank him just for knowing you."_

_"Lilly! Can you please use any other pronoun besides 'you'?"_

_Lilly lets out a throaty laugh. "Fine. Whatever  you  say, Veronica." She puts a hand on Veronica's arm. "I meant what I said, by the way. I'm even going to take some creative writing classes next year." Pausing for effect, Lilly continues, "My book has to be well written, after all, if it's going to top the Bestseller list for a year."_

_Veronica grins at Lilly's self-assurance. "I'm proud of you, Lilly - for the writing part. Just promise me you won't do anything  too  scandalous."_

_"Can't make that promise, Veronica Mars," Lilly grins impishly. "Come on. We need refills."_

_Sliding off the hood to the sand, they make their way to the beer kegs. Lilly hands the first refill to Veronica before filling one for herself. Veronica vaguely detects the sound of approaching motorcycles, but dismisses it from her mind._

_She stops to chat with Meg Manning, while Lilly wanders off to speak with the odious Sean Freidrich._

_Linkin Park blasts from the speakers of Dick's truck, but not so loudly that she can't hear Meg trying to persuade her to join the cheerleading squad. She's protesting the idea of cheering with Madison, when she registers the sound of a commotion._

_The local motorcycle gang, The PCHers, are approaching the bonfire and spreading out. Their leader, a tattooed badass named Weevil, glides up to Lilly and presses his body against her back. Lilly glances a challenge at him over her shoulder._

_Expecting trouble, Veronica searches the crowd for Logan's face, finally locating him on the other side of Casey's convertible, perched once again on the hood of the XTerra. As their eyes meet, Veronica is knocked off balance._

_The tallest PCHer - she thinks his name is Felix - has grabbed her and is making lewd humping motions against her body and shaking her like a rag doll._

_Time seems to slow down. She hears shouting. In her peripheral vision, Logan vaults from his bumper to the hood of Casey's new Porsche Carrera. Casey is yelling. Duncan is yelling. Three running steps, and Logan's fist is coming down on Felix's face, as he jumps off the car. Felix crumples to the ground, blood spurting from his nose._

_"Don't ever touch her again!" Logan yells down at him, and then he's pulling Veronica into his arms, pressing her face to his chest._

_"Did he hurt you?" Logan asks quietly, running a hand down the back of her head._

_"No, I'm okay."_

_The 09er guys have gathered around now, tense and belligerent. Veronica senses that a fight is inevitable._

_Lilly's voice rings out – confident and demanding. "You guys need to leave! Just go now!"_

_Weevil starts to speak. "We'll leave when we—"_

_Lilly turns to face him. "You'll leave now, or I  will  make you regret it. Do what you want, but my best friend is off limits."_

_Some kind of silent communication passes between Lilly and Weevil. Veronica is surprised when Weevil nods to his boys, and gives them a 'let's-go' gesture. One of the PCHers helps Felix off the ground._

_"I'll be back for you, Echolls," Felix warns, pinching his bleeding nostrils._

_"I'll be waiting," Logan sneers._

_The PCHers lumber off, looking over their shoulders and grumbling._

_Duncan's voice. Icy. "You can let go of my girlfriend now, Logan."_

_Veronica feels Logan tense, as if ready for another fight, but then he exhales, drops his arms, and takes a step back. "Did you see the way that punk was disrespecting your girlfriend? You think I was going to wait around for  you  to step in?" Logan demands, both arm spread wide in challenge._

_Veronica turns around to face her boyfriend, finding him glaring at Logan._

_"Did you see the way that other punk was disrespecting my sister?  Your  girlfriend?" Duncan yells back._

_"She didn't seem too upset by it," Logan replies dryly. "Maybe she'll write about it in her…" he pauses and sneers the last word. "…memoirs."_

_"She—"_

_Lilly interrupts and Veronica wonders why she looks so self-satisfied. "Duncan, let it go. It's all good. Veronica is my best friend. I want Logan to stick up for her. Don't you?"_

_Duncan sighs, the wind going out of his sails. "Yeah...Of course I do. Sorry dude."_

_Logan nods. Boy code for 'we're cool'._

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Trying not to wake Logan, Veronica carefully rolls onto her back and wiggled out of his arms, finally rolling on her right side facing him.

She can make out his face in the greenish glow of the alarm clock and her heart painfully clenches. He looks so young and innocent.

Duncan, and the other boys her age are all starting to thin in the face, becoming more chiseled and mature, but Logan still shows a hint of a baby face, a soft roundness to his cheeks and a faint scattering of freckles that brings out some crazy protective instinct in Veronica.

It’s hard to believe that somebody who appears so angelic in his sleep can be so cruel. And no matter how amazing he’s been the past few days, Logan has the capacity for cruelty - cutting her off without a second thought, exploiting all of her vulnerabilities, and let's not forget how he'd done body shots off her while she was unconscious.

Yes, she remembers now. That memory came back to her yesterday, during the long wait for Logan at the side of the highway – a trickle from her dream the night before. She isn’t the first girl the 09ers have used as a salt lick. She’d seen them do it to Madison, Shelly, and even the great Lilly Kane when they couldn't hold their alcohol. That doesn’t make what they'd done right by any means, but it does make it less personal.

Except for Logan's participation. That had been personal.

If anything, Veronica feels humiliated over the body shots. Humiliated because when she had opened her eyes, she had been so happy to see Logan – delighted, as if a wish had come true. She'd wanted to curl up in his arms forever, and she'd almost told him so, but in her drugged state, she'd become distracted by the beauty of his eyes. How he must have laughed at her - flattering him and even attempting to reassure him, while he was in the process of demeaning her. That was the height of his cruelty; using her trust against her.

She figures she has a choice. She can become furious, fuel the flames, confront him, and vow never to trust him again...or...she can forgive. Offer an unspoken amnesty for offenses committed while he was grieving and not himself, thus, allowing a true friendship to form, free of guilt and recrimination.

The first choice makes her stomach clench. The second feels strangely peaceful. It’s a no-brainer...and really, how many times can she keep reverting back to the bitterness?

The fact is, Logan is trying. He's been his old self the past three days, instead of the stranger who had taken his place for the previous year.

One thing is fairly certain now. Logan had not raped her. Despite his faulty logic, last night he'd been convinced that Veronica is still a virgin - he couldn't fake that. No, Logan knows nothing about the rape, and he never will.

Now, here she is all this time later, still wanting to curl up in his arms forever.

No, this can’t be healthy – the snuggling, the flirting, the handholding, the soft kisses on her cheeks and forehead. That kiss on her neck at the tavern. She shivers involuntarily at the delicious memory and feels betrayed by her own body.

She can’t afford to care for Logan, because she already knows the ending to this story. She's lived it. Logan will flirt with her. He’ll tease her. He’ll stare at her as if she’s the only girl in the world, and she’ll fall for it completely.

But nothing will ever come of it. Logan will suddenly, inexplicably, back off, find another hot blonde to abuse him and cheat on him, and Veronica will be the one to end up with the broken heart - again.

Logan likes his girls worldly, bitchy, and promiscuous. Everything she’s not. And that doesn’t even begin to delve into the Lilly and Duncan implications.

She needs to start keeping Logan at a distance.

But still...that face. She reaches out and brushes her fingers across his soft cheek, cursing the little flutter in her heart.

"Don't  _wanna_  die today." Logan mutters, his voice like a four year-old who doesn’t want to eat his peas.

"Today is not your day to die," Veronica whispers, pressing a reassuring hand to his chest.

Without warning, Logan's arm hooks around her lower back, pulling her snug against his body. His soft lips brush a gentle kiss on her left cheekbone, before tucking her head under his chin. She lets out a little sigh of contentment and allows herself to melt into him. She’ll fight against this later, but for now...she’ll sleep.

"Always you, Veronica," Logan whispers.

"Always what?"

"You," he repeats, kissing the top of her head. His hand slides into the hair at her nape, and his breathing slows as he drifts back to sleep.

_Always me, what? Always bossy? Always blonde? Always persnickety?_

She wonders for several moments, before she drifts back to sleep as well.

 

As exhausted as she is, Veronica may have slept all morning, had Logan not shifted, moving his hand from her hair down her neck to the bare part of her shoulder blade.

Three of her fingers have slipped under Logan's shirt in the back and are resting on a knob of his lower spine. She imagines the sensation of her fingertips tracing the bumps knob-by-knob all the way up his back.

_Yeah… it would be fun trying to explain that to him :  'Just checking for scoliosis. All clear!'_

"This cuddling stuff is becoming a bad habit," Veronica mumbles into Logan's chest.

"Good practice for when we're married," he whispers, producing shivers in her as he sweeps his fingers over the curve of her shoulder.

"I think at this point, I could probably pick your heartbeat out of a police lineup," she jokes.

"You should put that in our wedding vows."

"Right…" She pulls free her left leg - which had gotten itself tangled between his while they'd slept - and stretches out, pointing her toe. Even that small action creates sensations she can’t allow herself to acknowledge. "You do realize we don't actually need to get married, right?"

"Sure, but you know how people are. They see a ring, they start demanding a wedding. We may need to arrange something someday. To satisfy the common folk, of course."

Veronica laughs softly, and rolls onto her back cracking an eyelid.  _Good, not too bright._ A glance at the clock tells her it’s 8:12 AM.

"Always the Ringmaster trying to put on a show, Logan." She scoots over so that he isn’t practically on top of her, her traitorous body missing the loss of his warmth almost at once.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, children of all ages…" Logan says in a stage whisper. "But seriously...you know the ringmaster has another job, right?"

"Do tell, oh wise one." Veronica says, rolling back onto her side to face him.

"He diverts attention to exactly what he wants people to see - the glittering spectacle in ring #2, instead of the tearing-down happening in ring #1."

Veronica feels chills go up her spine. Although she recognizes that Logan is referring to concealing their fugitive status, she senses that this concept is a clue to understanding Logan's entire character.

"That's what you've been doing your whole life, isn't it?" she asks quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Misdirection. Putting on a show over in ring #2 so nobody sees how miserable you are in ring #1 - your home life."

Logan sighs. "I  _had_  to ask…"

"Logan Echolls – wild, reckless, larger than life. That's what you show the world. Can't let anybody see the real you – smart, sentimental, affectionate, brave, intuitive, and the loneliest popular boy I've ever known."

Logan rolls onto his back to avoid her eyes, revealing the bruised left side of his face.

Veronica gasps at the sight, and reaches out a hand to touch his cheek. "Does it hurt?"

"A little," he answers. "Especially, when you touch it."

"Sorry."

"S'okay."

She feels a guilty pang, when she sees how glassy his eyes are, staring at the ceiling. "I was lonely," she admits, reaching for his hand and sandwiching it between both of hers. "I missed you at least once every day. Even when you were at your worst. You never had to be lonely. I would have been there…"

"Veronica…" he sighs. "How? You know how things were."

"No, I really don't. I still think your vendetta against me was part of a smokescreen."

Logan turns back to Veronica. "I thought we were—"

Veronica cuts him off. "I'm not angling for a fight. I'm just trying to understand. What did I do to hurt you over in ring #3?"

"Nothing. Let it go, Veronica. Please?"

She wants to push further for an answer, but his eyes plead with her to drop it, so instead, she sits up, propping her pillow behind her back and reaches for the remote.

She watches the news without really watching - the sports, the weather, entertainment. Logan gets out of bed, and returns a few minutes later handing her a cup of coffee.

She inhales the aroma and then takes a small sip. "Mmm. Thank you. Just the way I like it."

"You're welcome." He props up a pillow and sits down next to her with his own cup of coffee. She almost points out the empty bed he could have all to himself, but then she remembers that this is actually  _his_  bed.

"Was it okay that I climbed in bed with you last night?" Veronica asks. "It's just...the nightmares go away when I'm with you."

"Then just sleep with me every night," Logan offers, blowing into his coffee cup. "We don't need to have a daily  _discussion_  about it, you know? I wouldn't try to take advantage of you."

Veronica's rational side protests.  _Tell him NO! Tell him you'll be fine from now on. This is only going to end up hurting you!_

"Okay…" _–_ _huh?_ — "I mean...as long as you don't mind. I know you wouldn't take advantage of me - except for your compulsion to cuddle."

"No, I don't mind, but  _you're_  the cuddler!" Logan insists.

"Am not! You're the one who always has his arms wrapped tight around me."

"But my arms couldn't reach you if you weren't all snuggled up against me."

Veronica scrunches up her face at him. "Fine, I'll admit it. I prefer cuddling with you to...wrestling grizzly bears."

A slow grin spreads across Logan's face. "You're so sweet. Well...I'd rather cuddle with you than...pull all my teeth out with a pair of rusty pliers."

"You're making me blush," Veronica says coyly, turning back to the TV to watch a human-interest story about a cat who had rescued her twelve kittens from a burning building.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Logan**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Logan braces himself for their turn on the news.

_What shall it be today? Jake Kane accuses us of brainwashing Duncan into stabbing Fitzpatrick? We've joined a cult? Maybe that Mooncalf Collective Casey Gant has been hanging around lately? More speculation on our love life?_

Any day now, the media will be implying that himself, Duncan and Veronica are in some kind of weird polyamorous relationship.

_Actually…Replace Duncan with Lilly, and I might have embraced that lifestyle. One house. Two beautiful blonde girlfriends. One wild. One constant. One in red. One in black. Both feisty._

From there, his mind hops, skips, and jumps down a rabbit hole he has no business ever visiting…

 

_It's been a long day at 'the office' and..._

_-What office?_

_-Who cares? Just go with it._

_It's been a long day at 'the office' and Logan opens the door of his palatial mansion._

_"Hi girls, I'm home!" he calls out, as he enters the dining room and finds his two blondes. His heart swells with emotion. He's so lucky to have them both._

_"Yay!" Lilly rolls her eyes and twirls a finger. She sits at the table, flipping through a magazine in a skin-tight black dress._

_Veronica wears a red tank, denim mini skirt and biker boots. Her hair is pulled back in the pigtails. She says hello, but she never glances up from her laptop._

_"I brought home some champagne," he announces, holding up a bottle. "To celebrate landing that account I worked so hard on."_

_"What account?" Lilly asks._

_"You don't even have a job, Logan," Veronica adds._

_"I  do  have a job! I'm coming home from a long day at 'the office'. I'm an ad exec. Or something. This is  my  fantasy. Will you two please cooperate?"_

_"Okay, baby," Lilly stands, throws her arms around him, and runs her tongue up his neck._

_"That's better. Now, what's for dinner?" Logan asks. "I'm starving."_

_"Whatever you feel like making...dear." That Veronica...so nurturing._

_Lilly gives him a salacious grin and slides up on top of the table. "I'm all the food you'll ever need, lovah…," she says, widening her knees._

For a minute, twelve limbs and three mouths tangle and twist on the mahogany dining room table, but then Logan gets his fantasy under control.

_-Sheesh, this is supposed to be about a relationship. I can imagine a threesome anytime. Where was I?_

_"I'm starving. How about I take you girls to Chez Roux?"_

_"Make it Luigi's and you have a deal," Veronica answers, finally glancing up at him with a smile._

_"Anything for you, Veronica. Lil?"_

_Lilly shrugs, and crosses her legs demurely._

_-Damn, maybe I spoke too soon._

 

_Logan's face is the picture of arrogance, as he enters Luigi's. Veronica now wears a red dress with a skirt that spreads out like a tutu above her combat boots. She clutches his right arm, while Lilly, still in her skintight black dress holds his left._

_Every eye in the place is on them as they follow the host to their table. Logan can't help but smirk. The men all appear jealous, while their wives seem to want to commit murder._

_The dining room is dimly lit; the aroma of garlic and marinara makes Logan's mouth water almost as much as his two girls do._

_They're shown to a semi-circular booth, and Veronica slides in first, followed by Logan, and then Lilly. Logan drapes an arm around Veronica while she examines the menu, fiddling with the right spaghetti strap on her dress. He leans over and presses a kiss to her left shoulder._

_Being a fantasy, no sooner do they order, than their dinner arrives._

_Before he can even take a bite, Veronica begins moaning over her manicotti, causing him to spring an insta-erection. Every guy in the place stares at her in lust, and Logan smirks back at them._

_' She's all mine,' his eyes tell them._

_Fingers crawl up his thigh. His left thigh. Lilly. He loves her to death, but why can't it ever be Veronica? He leans over and kisses Lilly's cheek._

_He picks up his fork to take a bite of his fettuccine, and glances down at his plate. Empty. Veronica blinks at him with innocent eyes._

_He flags down their waiter, and demands more food. A helping of rigatoni appears instantly in front of him. Before he can take a bite, he becomes mesmerized watching Veronica's tongue licking sauce and cheese off her fork._

_The feeling of his fly being unzipped captures his attention and he turns to Lilly. She winks bawdily._

_He looks down at his plate. Empty again. Veronica smirks like the cat who ate the canary. And what did that saying even mean? If any canary was going to be eaten, he hoped it was Tweety Bird. He hates that baby-talking bastard._

_He calls over the waiter and places a third order for food. As expected, it materializes immediately in front of him. He cuts off a bite of lasagna with his fork and almost has it to his mouth, when Veronica takes her first bite of tiramisu, becoming nearly orgasmic. He pauses, overcome by her display of pleasure._

_Lilly's hand slips down the front of his pants and wraps around his erection. He gasps, closing his eyes and arching his head back, focusing only on Veronica's noises and Lilly's actions._

_Suddenly, he feels a mouth on the fork he'd forgotten he was even holding. Lilly's hand withdraws from his pants, and his eyes fly open._

_"Thank you," Veronica smiles at him sweetly, pulling back from his fork. He looks down. His plate is empty, and he is STILL starving. He begins to laugh hysterically…to the point where he's crying._

_Out of the corner of his eye, he observes Lilly slipping her phone number to the waiter. No wait...that's the busboy._

_Seriously?_

_He can't take these girls anywhere!_

_He tried. They don't want romance? Fuck it. On to the threesome._

 

_He stands at the foot of his mahogany king-sized bed wearing only his black silk boxers._

_On the right, Lilly poses seductively in black leather lingerie. It barely covers anything, but dozens of straps crisscross everywhere._

_To the left, lays Veronica, all in white like a bride – a lace-up bustier with garters, white silk stockings, and silk panties._

_-Fucking. Gorgeous. But not quite right._

 

He shakes his head, resetting the picture.

 

_-That's better._

_Veronica wears her Catholic schoolgirl skirt with a simple white bra, heels, and her white knee socks! A hint of white cotton underwear peeks out from where her legs are slightly parted._

_She smiles at him with trusting eyes. "Be gentle with me, Logan. I'm a virgin."_

_"I know," he whispers. "I promise to make your first time perfect."_

_"Good, because if you don't, I'll have to punish you," she grins and reaches under her pillow._

_"Do you have a surprise for me, Ronnie?" Logan leers. "Should I be a bad bad boy?"_

_His grin disintegrates when he sees what she pulls out._

_"VERONICA!" he chastises. "Mr. Sparky is not an appropriate sex toy!"_

_Veronica shrugs and pushes the button on her taser, fleetingly mesmerized by the arcs of electricity, before setting it on the nightstand._

_Before Logan can make his move, Lilly slides over and begins kissing Veronica._

_"Hey! You can't start without me!" he calls out, while on the inside he's thanking God, the Universe and his third grade teacher._

_He's crawling up the bed to the space in between the girls, when Lilly rolls over and straddles Veronica, kissing her neck._

_He shifts to the left, but Lilly's curtain of hair blocks him from kissing either one of them._

_He climbs over to the right, but Lilly rolls to the side, so that her back is to him. He presses up behind her, but gets an elbow in the gut for his troubles._

_He climbs back to Veronica's side of the bed, but somehow Lilly flips them so that it's her back to him. Again._

_Finally, he climbs out of bed, bewildered, while Lilly rolls back on top to straddle Veronica._

_He stomps his foot, but gets no reaction. He stomps harder. He stomps his other foot. He drops into a nearby chair with a loud sigh. He pulls a cushion onto his lap, and hugs it. It's a poor replacement._

_He considers getting a sandwich. He's still starving, and now that Veronica is distracted..._

_But No! A sandwich is not going to cut it right now. He jumps back up._

_"WILL YOU TWO CUT IT OUT?" he shouts._

_Lilly lifts up from Veronica's mouth. "Logan? Are you having a temper tantrum?"_

_"You're damn right I'm having a temper tantrum!" he shouts. "This is  MY  threesome fantasy. You can't cut me out!"_

_Lilly giggles and Veronica rolls her eyes and says, "Drama queen."_

_"Lilly, you need to go," Logan says pointing at the bedroom door._

_"Excuse me?" she asks in shock. "I am the queen, and I'm enjoying myself here. Veronica is an amazing kisser."_

_"I wouldn't know!" he yells._

_"Wait your turn!"_

_"Go away!"_

_"No," Lilly winks, and runs a hand under Veronica's skirt._

_"That's it," Logan says. "You're banished."_

_"Banished?" Lilly laughs at him._

_"Yes. You're banished from this polyamorous relationship."_

_"Um...Logan?" Veronica begins._

_"I know!" he says in exasperation. "I can do the math. Henceforth, this polyamorous relationship shall be known as a monogamous relationship. One that Lilly is banned from."_

_"You can't do that," Lilly argues. "You know I always come first, lovah. And last. And somewhere in the middle."_

_"I do mean it, so why don't you just...evaporate or something."_

_Lilly vanishes without another word._

_" Wow!" Logan feels a fleeting pang of guilt._

_He's over it almost instantly, and kneeling at the foot of the bed staring at Veronica. He smiles, and she smiles back, and he knows that he picked the right girl. This time._

_"Alone at last…"_

_Veronica's knees are bent with her feet on the bed. Logan crawls to her, and kisses her right knee just above the knee sock, then then the left. He gently parts her knees and kisses her left inner thigh with his lips and his tongue. When he adds his teeth, Veronica lets out a loud moan._

_"Take that, tiramisu!" he says, grinning up at her. She's gazing at him with lust-filled eyes and he almost comes right there. He needs to slow things down. Start at the beginning._

_Letting out a ragged breath, he crawls up her body. Kneeling over her, he braces her face between his two hands._

_"Do you know how long I've wanted to do this?" he asks, leaning in to kiss her. He places the first one on her forehead._

"Logan…"

 

_He places the second kiss on her cheek._

 

"Logan!"

"Yeah, baby?"  _he whispers, meeting her eyes, and finally leaning in to kiss her on the lips._

"What did you just call me?"

 

_He freezes. That's not right. Why didn't her lips move?_

_OH SHIT!_

 

"Huh?" Logan answers; it comes out as a high-pitched squeak.

"I said...we're up." Veronica points at the TV and looks at him funny. "And don't call me baby."

Logan squirms and pulled his tee shirt over his erection, thankful that his knees had been up, blocking it from sight.

_Damn! Go away hard-on! Think…naked wrinkly grandmas...Fiery car crashes. Why isn't it working? Polyamorous relationships! Whew! That did the trick._

On TV, the same stupid shot of Logan carrying Veronica displays momentarily.

"We really should ask them for a copy of that picture," Logan deadpans. "We could put it on our wedding invitations."

"The blood puddle does make for a nice romantic touch," Veronica agrees.

 

**CNOW - ALL NEWS ALL DAY**

[The enhanced still of Logan carrying Veronica now has a label: 'The Neptune Three'. Scene cuts to anchorwoman.]

**ANCHOR:**  In the latest news of the Neptune Three, we have reports that they may have been in Western Texas as of yesterday. We go now to Natalie Bell in Kent, Texas.

[Cuts to a tracking shot of the Sweet Dreams Motel, which, after lingering for several seconds, cuts to shot of a reporter standing with a mid-thirties Latina woman wearing a housekeeping uniform.]

**BELL:**  I'm here at the Sweet Dreams Motel in Kent, Texas, where there may have been a sighting of the teenagers known as The Neptune Three.

 

"The Neptune Three?" Logan rolls his eyes. "Serial killers get cool names like 'The Hillside Strangler' or 'Zodiac' we get stuck with 'Neptune Three'? Could they be more original?"

 

**BELL:**   Mrs. Hernandez, tell us in your words what happened.

**HERNANDEZ:** I was cleaning my block of rooms when I came to room 53. I knocked on the door, and heard a call for help from inside.

**BELL:**  And then what happened?

**HERNANDEZ:**  I entered the room and found a man handcuffed to the sink.

**BELL:** (handing a photograph to Hernandez) is  this the man you found chained to the sink?

**HERNANDEZ:** (Shuddering)  Yes, that's the man.

[Scene cuts to mug shot of Liam Fitzpatrick.]

 

"Even when he's still, he looks psychotic," Veronica said, referring to Liam's disconcerting stare at the camera.

"That's a good thing. So many psychopaths look like Mr. Nice Guy."

"What do you know about psychopaths?"

"Like I've never watched documentaries or America's Most Wanted? Give me credit for not being a complete moron, Veronica."

"Sorry," Veronica looks sincerely contrite.

 

**BELL VOICEOVER:**  The person you're looking at is Liam Fitzpatrick, brother of the deceased Ciaran Fitzpatrick. You may remember that Ciaran Fitzpatrick was the drug dealer who attempted to rape Veronica Mars and was killed by Duncan Kane.

[Cuts to Bell and Hernandez]

**BELL:**  What did Mr. Fitzpatrick say when you found him?

**HERNANDEZ:**  He demanded that I go get some bolt-cutters. I told him I didn't have any, and that I would just call the police to help him.

**BELL:**  How did he react?

**HERNANDEZ:**  He flew off the handle. He told me if I brought the police, he would come after me and kill me. He called me by my first name - which was on my name tag.

**BELL:**  So what did you do?

**HERNANDEZ** **:** I called my nephew, Jose. He arrived a few minutes later with some bolt cutters, and snapped the chain between the cuffs.

**BELL:**  What happened next?

**HERNANDEZ** **:** Mr. Fitzpatrick pulled some photos from his back pocket, and asked me if I'd ever seen the three people. I told him I recognized them from the T.V. but hadn't seen them. He didn't believe me, and asked me what they were driving in a very threatening manner.

**BELL** **:** And the people in the photos?

**HERNANDEZ:**  The three missing kids from Neptune. The movie star's son, the rich kid and the blonde girl. The ones they're calling the Neptune Three.

**BELL:**  And you hadn't seen them at the motel?

**HERNANDEZ:**  No.

**BELL:**  What name was the room registered under.

**HERNANDEZ:**  Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It was paid for in cash, and our night clerk doesn't remember checking them in.

**BELL:**  Was identification requested when the room was booked?

**HERNANDEZ:**  Only when a credit card is used.

**BELL:**  Thank you for speaking with me today. Is there anything else you can remember?

**HERNANDEZ:**   Only that when he left the room, the man realized that his car had been stolen. He went into a rage then, and I had to hide in the office for an hour until I was sure he was gone. He stole the car of our day clerk. A red 2001 Mustang.

**BELL:**  Thank you Mrs. Hernandez. Anita, back to you.

 [Cuts to news anchor]

**ANCHOR:**  Thank you, Natalie. That stolen red Mustang was found this morning near Interstate 20 nose-down in a ditch, and is being returned to its owner. Now we go to Ann Marler in Neptune, California.

[Cuts to Ann Marler hurrying to catch up with Don Lamb on the steps of Neptune City Hall. Lamb seems surprised to be ambushed.]

**MARLER:**   Sheriff Lamb, can you comment on Keith's Mars' allegations of corruption in the sheriff's department?  (She shoves a mic in his face)

**LAMB:**  (Confused at first, but then slips on a mask of arrogance)  Keith Mars? What did he say?

**MARLER:**   He insinuated that you're in the pocket of the Fitzpatrick family.

**LAMB:**   He said that, huh?  (smirks)  Keith Mars is just full of conspiracy theories. Ask him the one about the Kane family. He pursued them for the murder of their own daughter even after her true killer confessed.

**MARLER:**  So why haven't you organized a manhunt for the Neptune Three?

**LAMB:** (chomping on gum)  Is that what you're calling them now? Listen, if anybody has any information about the whereabouts of these three kids, I strongly urge you to contact the Balboa County Sheriff's Department. But we have limited resources. Two days ago, a nine year-old little girl, Carmella Rivera, went missing on her way home from school. Yesterday, the owner of a local restaurant was murdered during the commission of a robbery. Are you suggesting that I pull resources from these cases and reallocate them to the more sensational case? The accidental killing of a drug dealer by a kid with a medical condition?

**MARLER:** (contrite)  No, of course not, but has the FBI been brought in?

**LAMB:**  For what? Because the Kanes allege that their son has been kidnapped? There is no evidence to support that theory. Listen, I've seen Duncan Kane with Veronica Mars back when her father was still the sheriff. If she told him to run, he would run, no questions asked. If she told him to jump, he would ask how high. This was no kidnapping. It's just an attractive blonde leading two teenage boys around by the  (smirks) …noses.

**MARLER:**  Wait, are you insinuating that Veronica Mars was the mastermind of this disappearance.

**LAMB:**  Yes. I don't think the boys are smart enough to plan something like this.

**MARLER:**  But she's the victim. She had nothing to gain by running away.

**LAMB:** (flashing dimples)  You think? She got her boyfriend back, didn't she? She's a teenage girl. Has to seem pretty romantic to go on the run with the two richest and most popular boys in town. Think about that.

**MARLER:**  But-

**LAMB:**  That's all I have to say. Have a nice day, Ms. Marler

[Lamb walks away. Ann Marler watches him go with a look of distaste on her face]

 

Logan glances at Veronica, who is staring at the TV in disbelief. "He really is a douchebag, isn't he?" he asks.

Veronica just shakes her head.

"If it makes you feel any better...I don't think you came along to get Duncan back."

"Um...thank you, Logan," Veronica humors him.

"I mean...seriously I'm a  _much_  better catch than Duncan," Logan grins and ducks when she slaps at him.

 

Logan takes the first shower. While Veronica is taking her turn, he texts Weevil with the burner cell.

While he waits for Weevil to call back, he dresses in olive cargoes and a sleeveless tee shirt before fixing his hair. He’s just finished straightening up the room when the phone rings.

"Weevil?"

"So Weevil Navarro is in on your little scheme?" the voice on the end asks.

"Nope, Weevil…um…Smith. Who's this?"

"Keith Mars. Is this Logan I'm speaking to?"

"Yeah, Veronica didn't mention giving you this number. She's in the shower right now. I'll have her call you back when she gets out."

"Nah, I'll go ahead and talk to you. Any chance I can convince you to tell me where you're at?"

"No, sir."

"Okay. Can't say I'm surprised. How are you treating my daughter, Logan?" Somehow, he makes his question sound like a threat.

"Like the well-bred paragon of virtue that she is?"

"Good...good," Keith chuckles. "So you're not treating her the way you did this past year?"

"No sir, I didn't exactly treat her like a paragon this past year."

"I'm aware of that. Are you dating my daughter?"

"Nah, we skipped the dating and went straight to the engagement."

"Ex _cuse_  me?" Logan can  _hear_  Keith turning red in the face.

"Cover story," Logan clarifies. "Keeps the perverts away."

"And what exactly are your sleeping arrangements?"

"Two double-beds," Logan answers, not  _technically_  lying. He can hardly tell Keith he's spent every night wrapped around his little girl with his nose buried in her sweet-smelling hair.

"Good…" Keith says, "All right, I'll let you go, but I have a few...guidelines...for you to follow."

"Why did I just feel like somebody walked over my grave?"

Keith chuckles again. "Number one. Keep your hands off my daughter."

"Is this retroactive? Because I did touch her shoulder this morning," Logan says.

"Not quite enough to make me load my gun, but don't push your luck. Rule number two. Keep Duncan's hands off my daughter."

"Absolutely."

"That was a little too enthusiastic. Shall I reiterate rule number one?"

"I think I get the picture."

"Good...Rule number three. No drinking and driving."

"Got it."

"Rule number four, don't let Veronica get in over her head. She doesn't acknowledge that she has limits."

"I agree...to the rule and the sentiment."

"Good. Rule number five-"

"Um...Mr. Mars? Any more rules, I'm going to start forgetting rule number one." He smirks, remembering he has no intention of following rule number one.

"Fine...just make sure she eats her vegetables now and then. She can't survive on French fries and ice cream alone. "

"Got it. I'll just use reverse psychology and put them on my plate."

"You too?"

"Yeah, have you ever considered having her checked for a tapeworm?"

"Um...I did...discreetly. Nothing there. So you two are getting along again?"

"Yeah, not quite back where we used to be, but getting there."

"Logan...what made you go back for her? Did you hear her screaming?"

"No I didn't hear anything. Honestly, I followed Lilly's ghost to her."

"Ahhh," Keith says. "Well that lowers my confidence in your sanity, but increases my confidence in your instincts, so…I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my daughter at the expense of your own standard of living."

"I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Except...I'd probably keep a better eye on Duncan."

"Speaking of Duncan…"

"Catatonic. Still. He's at a clinic on an I.V. right now and some tranqs."

"You took him to a clinic? Are you guys crazy?"

"No, let's just say that the doctor came to us. He's the son of the owner of our motel. We trust them. They could have turned us in yesterday."

"Hmm...Okay, I guess I have no choice but to trust you guys. For now. Alright, let Veronica know I called and that I love her."

"Sure. Should I give her a kiss for you too?"

"I'm licensed to carry firearms, Logan."

"That was a joke."

"I'm aware of that. Alright, please behave and - I know it's not your job - but please keep Veronica safe."

"I'll guard her with my life."

Keith pauses, silent for a moment. "What was rule number one again, Logan?"

"Keep Duncan's hands off of Veronica. Got it," Logan lies. "I will put every effort into enforcing that rule. I'll make it my sacred duty."

"Logan!" Keith growls. "Don't make me come searching for you three."

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, have Veronica call me when she gets out of the shower."

"How about I have her text you. Then you can go someplace safe before you call her back."

"Good thinking. Talk to you later."

 

Mere minutes after hanging up with Keith, the phone rings again.

"Hello?"

The phone is silent for a moment, and then Weevil speaks. "Veronica called me?"

"No, I did. She's in the shower."

"What could you and I possibly have to talk about?" Weevil asks.

"The Fitzpatricks. More specifically, how they knew to search for us before Ciaran's body was even discovered."

"Say what?" Weevil asks. "Start from the beginning."

"The news said the body was found at 9:00 AM, but I ran into a Fitzpatrick cousin at the gas station outside of my motel at 8:00 AM. Asshole handcuffed me inside his car and called Liam to tell him he had me."

"That's impossible," Weevil says. "I staked out that building all night long from the pavilion, and I'm telling you, nobody went near it."

"Well, they knew somehow. Did you tell anybody?"

"Only Thumper. He drove Veronica's car home for me, but I'd trust him with my life."

"Right...Like Chardo? I think you need to reevaluate the people you trust. You're 0 for 2 now."

"There's no way Thumper would help the Fitzpatricks, man. We hate the Fitzpatricks."

"If you're so sure of his loyalty, what can it hurt to give him a little test?" Logan asks, reaching for Veronica's laptop and accessing the tracking software she'd left open. "Veronica planted a tracker on Liam's Barracuda yesterday. We're on the East side of Dallas. How about you tell Thumper you heard from us and we're on the West side." He examines the map more closely. "Tell him we're in Irving, Texas, and then we'll sit back and watch the little blip on the map."

"Hold up, Opie. Which Fitzpatrick caught you?"

"His name was Danny Boyd."

Weevil lets out a bark of laughter. "And there went any grudging respect I may have been developing for you."

"So the bromance is dead? You never even gave us a chance." Logan whines.

"What? Were you wearing a ' _my name is_ ' sticker." Weevil snickers. "Was there a neon sign above your head with flashing lights and arrows? Danny Boyd needs a diagram to tie his shoes."

"I didn't exactly expect anybody to be looking for us  _that_  early." He mumbles the last part: "I might not have been wearing a disguise."

"So how did you get away?"

"Um...Veronica showed up disguised as a walking Catholic schoolgirl fantasy, flirted with him, and chloroformed him when his back was turned. It was pretty…intense. We cuffed him to the toilet in our room and took off."

"Nice! I've seen that disguise," Weevil admits, appreciatively. "I can understand how Boyd would become…distracted."

"How about you forget you ever saw it?"

"You'd like that, huh? You're lucky she saved your sorry ass."

"That's what I thought until yesterday, when Liam showed up at our motel and I had to fight him off. The dude is the Terminator. He feels no pain."

"That's how it goes with meth-heads. How'd you get away this time?"

"I had to pull a gun on him. Danny Boyd's gun. Even then, I thought he was going to make me shoot him."

"Think you could have pulled the trigger?"

"I think so. Especially after he threatened to rape Veronica."

"So Golden Boy isn't the only one who'll Hulk out over Veronica."

"I'll do whatever is necessary." Logan ignores the baiting. "So, we cuffed him to the sink and Veronica stole his car and planted a tracker on it. We drove separately towards Dallas until she broke down on the freeway."

"Why would she take his car? She could have planted the tracker and left the car behind."

"Well, first, to slow him down so we could get a head start. Secondly, because we're heading East. She thought it would be a good idea to lead him up North. Set up a false trail leading to Chicago. We were planning to dump the car in a no-parking zone near the Police Department in Dallas and let the impound lot contact him."

"That girl has a devious mind. So how did he get his car back?"

"Well, Veronica and I became separated on the highway. A pile-up stopped traffic for an hour. Five minutes after I finally found her, Liam caught up in this stolen Mustang. The guy is a psychopath. He chased us at over 100 miles per hour for almost thirty minutes. I thought we were going to die, but you've never seen anybody drive the way Veronica did. The girl is...I don't know….spectacular!"

"I get it. You're in love with her. I told you first."

"I never said that!" Logan protests.

"You didn't have to. So what kind of condition is the truck in?"

"Pretty messed up," Logan says, letting the subject drop. What’s the point of arguing? "We hugged a few guardrails. A few cars. Both sides are pretty scratched up."

"Okay. I may have somebody who can take care of that. I'll call you back in five minutes."

 

Logan spends a moment watching the little blip travelling north towards them on the map. Their plan is working. Liam is being led to Dallas, but that doesn’t stop Logan from shuddering at the idea of him getting closer. Finally, he sighs and minimized the application.

He’s about to close the lid of the laptop, when a folder titled _'_ _Lilly Kane_ _'_ catches his eye. He clicks it, expecting to find photos and videos from their long friendship. Instead, the folder contains hundreds of photos, PDFs, and Documents. He doesn’t have to click on the photos – he can tell from the thumbnails they are pictures of his girlfriend with her brain bashed in.

_How did you get these? Why do you have these? What are you trying to prove here? They caught the killer._

He opens a random PDF – a witness statement from the owner of the last car Lilly washed that day. Lilly had shown no signs of worry or distress while washing his car. In fact, she had been cheerful and bubbly.

He opens a sub-folder named _'_ _Suspects_ _'_ and is surprised to see a document named _'_ _Logan Echolls_ _'_. He opens it.

**Logan Echolls**  
Motive:  Husbands/Boyfriends are the most likely suspects. Jealousy? Crime of passion?  
Alibi:  Unshakeable. In Tijuana with Dick and Cassidy Casablancas.

 

_Damn! I need to tell her the truth, but she's just now beginning to trust me again. Maybe I'll just let it be - for now._

He closes the document and opens the one labeled 'Duncan Kane'.

 

**Duncan Kane**  
Motive:   Nothing obvious. He has a condition called Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Did he have a sudden rage episode and accidentally kill Lilly?  
Alibi:   None. The Kanes went to a lot of trouble to falsify the time of death. Was it to make it appear as if Duncan had an alibi?

 

The document shows it was last modified the previous evening.

_So she's still working on this. Jake's announcement of Duncan's epilepsy yesterday gave her the motive she was looking for._

 

The phone rings, and Logan reluctantly closed up the documents and the Lilly Kane folder.

"Weevs?"

"Yeah. So I talked to my cousin Ricardo. He runs a chop shop in Dallas."

"Ah…Those Navarros…upstanding…ethical…principled members of society."

"Yeah…those Navarros…who keep pulling your ass out of the fire. And your daddy is the real criminal – accepting money for those crappy performances."

"You've got me there. So what about your cousin?"

"He's going paint the Explorer and change out the rims and the trim."

"Um...why? Shouldn't we just get a new vehicle?"

"You have to act in unpredictable ways. Liam will be searching for a scraped-up black Explorer or a completely different vehicle. A silver Explorer would be the last vehicle he would notice. He's not going to expect you to stick around long enough to get body work done on the vehicle, and he's not going to expect you to have any contacts in the Dallas area."

"Okay, that makes sense." Logan pulls a memo pad out of the nightstand drawer and takes down the address of the chop shop. "You said his name is Ricardo?"

"Yeah. Oh, I mentioned to Thumper that I'd heard from you."

"And?"

"He asked where you were. I told him you were in a Motel 6 or some other chain motel in Irving, Texas. I can guarantee you that nothing will come of it."

"I hope so too, Weevs. I hope so too."

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Unmarked Chop Shop**  
**Downtown Dallas, Texas**

 

Ricardo Navarro's chop shop is in a large, unmarked warehouse in a rundown area of central Dallas. Inside the dimly lit interior, dozens of _'_ _mechanics_ _'_ work to disassemble vehicles in the center of the floor space.

Evenly spaced rows of industrial shelving remind Veronica of a grease-stained library. She wonders, idly, if they have their own version of the Dewey Decimal system to locate parts quickly.

_Need a radiator for a 1994 Chrysler LeBaron? Try 423.32. Look for the signs._

Orange extension cords stretch out in every direction on the cracked concrete floor. Various racks line the walls; some contain doors, others hold tires, rims, or car hoods. Chains hang everywhere from the ceiling, and the pungent odors of car paint and motor oil assail Veronica's sinuses.

Weevil's cousin, Ricardo, is a rough looking, but quiet man of around twenty, who seems happy to help out with the Explorer. He’s of an average height, more rangy than stocky, with skin slightly darker than Weevil's. He has wavy, short, raven black hair, solemn dark eyes, and a five o'clock shadow. Despite all of the differences, Veronica finds an uncanny resemblance to Weevil in him; maybe it’s the Bambi eyes?

She has to strain to hear him speak over the grinding, sawing and buzzing sounds of the power tools and the blowtorches. "Weevil told me how you helped out him and my abuéla."

"Well technically, I helped Weevil. He's the one who falsely confessed for your grandma's benefit."

"Sure, but she's not as young as she used to be. She needs Weevil to help around the house and with the kids. She can't make it without him. Chardo was a screw-up. He never helped out like Weevil."

"Well, Chardo's gone now. And Weevil's been a loyal friend to me."

"Chardo may have left Neptune, but he came here to be a pain in  _my_  ass. Listen, I grew up in Neptune. Weevil and I were best friends as kids. He asked me to help you out in any way I can."

"I greatly appreciate it."

She figures Logan is probably going stir-crazy waiting by now. When they'd checked in with Peggy, the older woman had kindly insisted they drive her Dodge Ram, to save them a taxi trip back.

"So how soon will the truck be ready?"

"The day after tomorrow…after hours," Ricardo answers. "I'll call you when it's finished."

"Wonderful! Thank you!" Veronica says, shaking his hand before leaving.

 

A light breeze blows bouncy curls from Veronica's 'Texas wig' into her eyes as she comes out of the chop shop. Brushing them away, she spots Logan almost immediately. He’s parked near the end of the building. He appears to be fiddling with the radio stations.

As she’s crossing the front of the vehicle, two guys dressed in motorcycle jackets come around the corner.

"Veronica Mars!" a voice says.

_Not again!_

She glances up at the speaker.

_Really really not again._

Chardo grins at his friend, who resembles Weevil even more than Ricardo had - down to the shaved head and the build. He has to be another cousin. "This here is Veronica Mars. She's a nosy little bitch."

Four additional bikers round the corner, stopping short. One is taller than Chardo with sad caramel colored eyes, and a dimple in his chin. He wears a plain white tee shirt with droopy jeans, his long black hair pulled back into a low ponytail. The second guy, in a leather motorcycle jacket, has rage-filled eyes framed by super-long eyelashes. Like Chardo, he has a buzz-cut and a large scar covers his right cheek. The third man is shorter and rounder wearing a black tee stretched tightly across his gut. His face appears placid and dumb, like a cow. The final biker is younger than the rest, perhaps fifteen with spiked dark hair. He stares at Chardo with nervous eyes, obviously not comfortable with him intimidating a girl.

"Nice to see ya, Chardo. Gotta go," Veronica gives a dismissive wave, but Chardo blocks her path, grabbing her wrist.

"Wait! Where you think you're going?"

"Away from you," Veronica answers, tugging on her wrist.

"Not so hasty, Veronica. You're not going anywhere until I find out if I can get a reward for turning you in."

The sound of the driver's door opening behind her is like an omen of doom.

_Oh hell!_

"You need to take your hand off of her this fucking second," Logan commands, coming around the front of the truck. His eyes are hard and unyielding.

_This is so not good. Six on one, Logan? Don't you ever learn?_

"Whoa ho! If it isn't my old friend, Logan Echolls," Chardo sneers, full of malicious glee.

"Let. The. Fuck. Go. Of. Veronica," Logan demands, strolling over, pulling Veronica's arm free of Chardo's grasp and inserting his body between her and the ex-PCHer.

"Last time I ran into you, you were about to curb me," Chardo says, stepping forward in an attempt to intimidate.

Logan's face twists into his most infuriating smirk. "For Caitlin Ford? Nah. You needed to be taught a lesson, but I wouldn't go  _that_ far for a piece of trash like her. "

He makes as if to leave, and then turns back. "I would for Veronica, though. That and more, so don't ever put your hands on her again." He slides his arm around her. "Come on, let's go."

_Good. He's walking away for once._

"You ain't going nowhere," Chardo says, putting up a hand.

_Damn! Damn! Damn!_

"Guess the odds are in my favor this time, huh? Grab him!" he instructs his biker minions.

Logan grasps Veronica by her by the upper arms and stares at her directly. "Get in the truck and leave."

"I'm not going anywhere without you," she answers under her breath.

"Please go," he pleads with his eyes. "At least climb in and lock the doors, V."

Veronica hesitates, and then nods. She slips into the passenger door, engaging the power locks, while Scarface and the Human Cow drag Logan to the cinder block wall, pulling his arms wide open.

Chardo hangs back like a smirking general, standing in front of the Peggy's truck, hands on his hips.

"What's the problem, Chardo?" Logan taunts, struggling against the guys holding him. "Mad Caitlin wouldn't run away with you? Pissed that I won the girl I didn't even want anymore?"

"Hit him," Chardo demands. Veronica winces as Weevil-Lite punches Logan in the jaw. His head bounces into the bricks, but he’s laughing when he straightens up.

"You should go back for her, Chardo," he calls out. "Bet she'd pick you now, after I exiled her for being a treacherous whore."

"FUCK YOU PUNK! I LOVED HER!" Chardo screams. Scarface pulls out a switchblade and presses it against Logan's neck.

"But she didn't love you, man," Logan says, calmly spitting out blood. "Even after you stole my mom's credit cards and showered her with gifts, she still wouldn't break up with me."

_Just shut up, Logan! You're making it worse!_

"What are you guys waiting for?" Chardo yells. "Take care of his punk ass!"

Weevil-Lite begins punching Logan in the stomach repeatedly. Veronica can almost feel the punches in her own gut, but, although Logan's body recoils from the blows, he never makes a sound.

_He doesn't seem to feel pain any more than Liam._

Veronica can’t take it anymore. She slides over to the driver's seat and turns the key in the ignition.

Nobody even glances at her, so she shifts the car into drive and begins inching forward.

When Chardo finally notices the proximity of the vehicle, it’s too late. She gives it a tiny bit more gas and gently pins him to the wall at thigh level.

"WHAT THE FUCK, BITCH?" he screams, tugging and squirming, but unable to free himself.

Veronica rolls down her window. "Let him go, and I'll let you go."

"We'll kill him, bitch!" Scarface yells pressing the knife harder.

Veronica stares at Chardo. "He's all I have left. You hurt him, and I have nothing left to lose. I'll at least put you in a wheelchair for life."

Veronica revs the engine and Chardo screams. "She's serious! She's fucking loco! Let him go!"

The minions hesitate, and Veronica revs the engine again. The Human Cow releases Logan's right arm, and he slumps, but Scarface still holds him by his left wrist.

The door to the chop shop slams open and Ricardo storms out.

"What in the hell is going on here?"

"They're beating up my boyfriend," Veronica says, leaning out the window.

_Boyfriend? Why did I call him that? Guess it's just easier than explaining._

"His only crime was that his ex-girlfriend didn't dump him for Chardo."

Ricardo looks at his cousin in disgust, and then at the biker gang.

"What did I tell you guys about listening to this fuck-up?" Ricardo demands. "Is he in charge, or am I?"

The bikers back off, looking uncomfortable. Scarface lets go, and Logan drops to his knees gasping.

They clearly defer to Ricardo, who is currently displaying a cold fury. He points at Chardo. "This dog – my cousin - stole credit cards and ran them up buying presents for a skanky white girl who already had a boyfriend. Normally, I wouldn't mind that – using some rich white guy's card to have a little fun, but when it was traced back, he let my abuéla rot in jail for his crime."

As one, the bikers look at Chardo with contempt. Weevil-Lite goes so far as to spit at his feet. Grandmothers are sacred after all.

“My cousin Weevil had to make a false confession to clear my grandma's name. But did Chardo come forward then?" Ricardo continues. "No. He tried to convince the same punta to run away with him - while he left his own blood rotting in jail doing time for him. Those kinds of girls don't leave behind their privileged lives for lowlifes like him. He was tossed out of the PCH gang for that."

The bikers mumble among themselves.

"See this  _chica_  here?" Ricardo points at Veronica. "She's the one who cleared my abuéla and my cousin. Nobody asked her to help, and Weevil said she didn't even charge him for it. She is under my protection, as well as her boyfriend. Am I clear?"

The bikers mumble their agreement. Weevil-Lite even helps Logan up, brushes the dirt off his cargoes and escorts him to the vehicle. "Sorry, man. Weevil's my cousin, too." He opens the passenger door, and Logan climbs in.

"Can you let Chardo go now, Veronica?" Ricardo asks.

"He wants to turn us in for a reward," Veronica answers.

Ricardo turns back to Chardo and spits on the ground. "If I hear even a hint of you turning this girl in, I'll give you to the Neptune police wrapped in a bow. Are we clear?"

"Yes," Chardo agrees, sullenly.

Ricardo turns back to Veronica, a question in his eyes. Veronica nods.

"Hey," Ricardo says, stepping up to the window. "I'd better drop the truck off to you when it's done, just to be safe. I'll call before I come."

"Thank you. For everything." Veronica says as she puts the car into reverse.

Chardo, freed from the wall, is examining himself for bruises as Veronica drives away.

 

During the car ride, Logan seems content to stare off into space, worrying his at jaw. Sometimes around Logan, Veronica craves silence, but right now, it’s making her a bit edgy. She racks her brain for an amusing icebreaker, when he finally speaks.

"Pull over."

"Do you have to throw up?" Veronica asks worriedly, putting on her blinker and pulling into a gas station parking lot. She pulls into the back, and as soon as she put the vehicle in park, Logan is out the door.

Before she can even look over her shoulder to see where he’s going, he’s on her side of the vehicle, wrenching open her door, pulling her out by the hand, and crushing her in his arms. He kicks the door closed and then spins her in a circle twice, lifting her up off her feet.

She almost wraps her legs around his waist for stability, but catches herself in time.

_That would have been awkward...and kind of hot, if I'm being honest._

"I'm sorry!" he whisper-laughs into her shoulder. "It's that adrenaline thing, again." He sets her down on her feet, twirling them 180 degrees.

When he releases her, she feels light-headed and stumbles back one step to lean against the car door.

Logan reaches out a hand to steady her, letting it linger on her shoulder.

"I can't believe you, Veronica," he says, quietly, staring down with soft eyes. "You just keep coming through for me again and again."

_Uh oh. Full schmoop mode. Those eyes! I need some kind of talisman. Garlic? A cross? A photo of Lilly Kane?_

Veronica gives him a tentative smile.

"I just wanted you to leave," He examines his shoes as his hand distractedly rubbed the side of his neck. "So you would be safe"

She shakes her head as if disappointed in him. "You think I would ever leave you behind, Logan? Quit trying to be a martyr, and get that idea out of your head. Remember your own words yesterday?"

He glances back up at her and tilts his head in question.

 _" You and me against the world_ _?"_ she reminds him.

He looks at Veronica with something like awe in his eyes. "So...you're like my very own tiny 'ride-or-die' chick?"

Veronica smirks and flashes him what she hopes might possibly resemble a gang sign, but might have been  _the shocker_ , or  _scouts honor_ , or  _rock and roll_ , or...she tries out a few more combinations, but Logan only chuckles and snatches her hand, giving it a squeeze.

He looks at her and his smile widens, and  _damn_  he is beautiful.

_Logan Echolls. Poster child for temptation in hair gel. All he needs is an apple..._

"Ronnie and Clyde," Veronica jokes, smiling back at him.

"Yeah...Ronnie and Clyde," he repeats, still grinning. "That's us." He isn’t looking away, and she starts to feel skittish.

"We'd better get back," Veronica says shakily.

"Sure," his smile becomes shy. "Thanks again. For everything." He opens her car door for her, closing it once she’s inside. Seconds later, he’s in the passenger seat and Veronica is pulling away.

"You're like some super pixie ninja or something," Logan says, producing a laugh from Veronica.

"So what does that make you?"

"Your biggest fan."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Veronica teases.

"Everywhere, huh?" He waggles his eyebrows when she glances over at him. "You  _did_ tell Weevil's cousin I was your boyfriend."

"So? You told Dr. Tony I was your girlfriend," she counters. "Sorry, but it was just easier to say _'_ _boyfriend'_  than _'_ _strictly-platonic-fugitive-traveling-companion_ _'_.

"Platonic, my ass," Logan mutters.

Coming up to a red light, Veronica hits the brakes a little too hard, causing both of their heads to jerk forward. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demands turning to look at him.

Logan gives her a cheeky grin. "Admit it Mars. You've been obsessed with me for years. I have to fight you off with a stick."

Veronica lets out the breath she'd been unconsciously holding. "Says the guy who stalked me outside the Camelot every night last week," she smirks back at him.

"Touché," Logan chuckles.

After a minute, he becomes serious. "We're different now, Veronica."

"How so?"

"I don't know. After this past year, things should be more...strained between us. I mean it is strained, but it's also like we're stronger than we ever were before."

She glances away from the road for a moment. "You're being sappy again, Logan."

"Yeah, well…" he agrees. "Before Lilly died, if somebody had asked me if Veronica Mars would do anything for me, I wouldn't have hesitated to say yes. You were a great friend."

"But…?"

"But if that same person were to ask me if Veronica Mars would use a truck to pin a PCHer to the wall like a bug...for me...Well I'm sure you can imagine what my reaction would have been."

"You would have peed yourself laughing?" Veronica guesses.

"Bladder control issues aside...we are so much stronger now. I hope you know I would do anything for you, too. I haven't had much of an opportunity to prove it, but…"

"You took on six bikers to make Chardo let go of my arm. I think we're even. You're the one who took the hits."

Logan snags her right hand from where it had been draped on the armrest kissing the back of it. She’s about to make a smartass comment about 'who's the Rico Suave now?', when he short-circuits her brain by pressing soft, not-quite-chaste kisses to each of her five knuckles.

_Oh son-of-a...Hell! What are you doing to me, Logan? Besides turning my insides to jelly?_

_Breathe, Veronica._

She squeezes the steering wheel with her left hand, only daring to look back at Logan after he interlaces his fingers with hers, dropping their hands to his lap.

_What now, Veronica? You're going to pretend that it's perfectly normal to pass him off as your boyfriend? To allow him to hold your hand inside of a moving vehicle when nobody is even watching? You're asking to get your heart broken, and you will only have yourself to blame!_

_You're playing with fire, Veronica Mars, but…oh aren't the flames dazzling?_


	15. Day Four - Lilly Knows Best

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Several minutes past noon, Veronica returns the keys to Peggy's truck. The office is empty, but at the sound of the bell on the door, Peggy appears in the open doorway behind the counter. "Come on back," she motions.

Veronica follows her into a tiny kitchen rich in the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, and a hint of lemon-scented cleaner. The room is white, from the floor to the walls, from the cabinets to the appliances, to the gleaming ceramic tile counter top. Scattered red accents pieces kept the space from appearing sterile.

Peggy gestures for Veronica to take a seat at the four-seater table, turning to putter around the room gathering items: two large red mugs, a carafe of coffee, a bottle of hazelnut creamer, small desert plates, forks, a spoon, a knife, and a foil-covered plate, tented in the middle.

"Any problems dropping off the truck?" Peggy asks, slipping into the chair across from Veronica.

Veronica lets out a bitter laugh. "Nothing we couldn't handle. The Explorer won't be ready until the day after tomorrow, so we'll need to book our room for two more nights. Is that okay?"

"Of course! You stay as long as you want to." Peggy pours coffee from the carafe, handing one of the mugs to Veronica. "I spoke to Tony five minutes ago. Duncan hasn't shown any response to treatment, yet."

"Lovely," Veronica says, reaching for the bottle of hazelnut creamer, and drizzling some into her mug.

Peggy removes the foil from the plate, and Veronica's mouth waters at the sight. She hasn't had pumpkin roll since before her mom left.

"Tony will bring Duncan by this evening. With any luck, he'll be able to make some progress between now and then." Peggy cuts off two slices of the desert, sliding one to Veronica with a fork.

Today's caftan has a misty gray print, V-neck, and 3/4 length sleeves. She wears a large clunky necklace strung with flat silvery stones resembling hematite. "How'd you handle being alone in the room with Logan last night?" she asks.

"How do you mean?" Veronica adds sugar to her mug and stirs.

"You survived a traumatic experience. Nobody would blame you if you were a bit wary around men now."

"Oh...I am, but not with Logan. To be honest...when I'm in his arms is the only time I feel truly safe."

"You mean when he hugs you?"

"There may have been some…" her voice drops to a mumble. "...cuddling...too." She stirs her coffee, taking a sip.

"No, not in a romantic way!" Veronica is quick to clarify noticing the curious expression on Peggy's face. "I keep having these horrible nightmares, but whenever Logan wraps his arms around me, they go away."

"So he's offering you comfort?" Peggy asks with a gentle smile.

"Yeah…" Veronica answers, the tiniest of smiles curling up the corners of her lips. Her eyes widen when she tastes the pumpkin roll. "Peggy, this is delicious. Is it homemade?"

"Yep, old family recipe. I can make you a copy before you check out. You know I had a friend like that."

"Like what?" Veronica had forgotten everything beyond the desert in front of her.

"Logan. In my mid-twenties I was attacked and raped."

"I am so sorry," Veronica gasps.

"I know, hon. You get past it eventually."

"Did they catch the guy?"

"No, they never caught him. At first, I couldn't stand to be touched. By anybody. It made my skin crawl." She offers an understanding nod to Veronica before continuing. "A few weeks after the attack, while visiting my cousin William, I ran into Robert, an old friend from school. He pulled me into a bear hug, not having heard anything about my rape."

Veronica cringes in sympathy.

"I braced myself, but the revulsion never came." All of these years later, Peggy’s face still shows wonder at the memory. "I actually felt safe with him. I was so relieved to be touched by another human being again; I ended up breaking down in his arms. Acting like a blubbering fool."

"Oh no!" Veronica winces. "How'd he react?"

"He was a good sport after I explained everything to him. He had moved back to town the previous week, and had rented an apartment, coincidentally, in my building, one floor down from me."

"Awkward." Veronica says.

"No, he became one of my best friends. Like you, I was having nightmares. I kept dreaming that my attacker would come back and find me. One night, I woke up screaming from this nightmare...more vivid than usual. I don't even recall stumbling down to his door, but one glance at my face and he just held out his arms. He held me until I was able to sleep again."

Veronica's sinuses alert her to the real possibility of tears. Peggy's story tugs at her heartstrings, but isn't Logan was providing the exact same sort of comfort for her. Has she been taking him for granted? She takes a deep breath to head off any embarrassing displays of emotion.

"It became a pretty regular occurrence after that." Peggy continues. "Every time I needed him, he came through, no questions asked."

"You speak of him in the past tense. Did you lose contact with him?"

"He passed away a year and a half ago from cancer."

"Oh Peggy, I am so sorry."

"Don't be," Peggy says, smiling through her brimming tears. "Robert and I had thirty wonderful years of marriage before he died. We had a beautiful son, and a love like no other. I have no regrets." She rubs at her eyes, laughing at herself.

"You ended up marrying him?" Veronica asks, moved that Peggy had been able to find love from tragedy. Her mind makes the natural leap to Logan, and her smile falters, as she holds up her hands. "Oh! No, it's not like that with Logan and me!"

"You're not attracted to him?"

Veronica hesitates. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him - I always have been - but he and I are never going to happen. At least romantically."

"Because of Duncan?"

"Well, he's only a small part of it. Logan just doesn't see me that way."

Peggy smiles and shakes her head. "Veronica, I've seen you and Logan together a few times. He looks at you the way Robert always looked at me. He exhibits a constant need for physical contact with you. He most assuredly  _does_  see you that way."

"You don't understand. That's just Logan. He's a very affectionate person by nature - or at least he always was with me...before this last year."

"Or...perhaps...he's always had feelings for you." Peggy suggests, in a gentle voice.

"No, not me." Veronica scoffs. "My best friend."

She stares wistfully off into space for over a minute before speaking again. "The first time I ever met Logan I felt such an intense connection. I told myself I was too young for a boyfriend, but for the next three weeks, almost every time I closed my eyes, I thought about him. I couldn't get him out of my head."

"You think he may have sensed the same connection?"

"No. I mean, yeah, I did at first. The next time I saw him, we shared this...moment. Just for a few minutes there, I thought…"

"You thought you were meant to be?"

"Yeah…something like that." Veronica closes her eyes for a moment, and then shakes her head smiling regretfully. "Maybe...I was very young, but it doesn't matter, anyway. He stood up, walked away from me, and kissed my best friend right in front of me."

"Lilly Kane?"

"Yeah...Lilly Kane. They ended up dating for the next few years - on and off." She pauses to sip her coffee. "Logan is a complete player now. He's only had two girlfriends since Lilly's death, and he has a specific 'type' - mean girls with fidelity issues. The opposite of me."

"You honestly think he would rather be with somebody who treats him badly than with a kind and beautiful girl like you?"

"Yes.

"Would you ever consider actually discussing this with Logan?"

"And ruin this fragile truce? Not a chance."

"You know, you told me you and Logan would never be together romantically, but your only reason is that you think that he's not interested in you. What are your own reasons?"

"Oh, I have plenty," Veronica asserts.

"Such as?"

"He's a pain in the...butt."

"He's a man, honey. That's why we love them."

"When I was dating Duncan, everything was nice. We got along. We had mutual interests."

"And he bored you to tears?"

"That's beside the point." Veronica tries to hide her sardonic smile. "If I tried to date Logan, we would fight non-stop."

"About what?"

"That's just it! We have nothing to fight about. We pretty much think the same way; see the world the same way. But that wouldn't stop him. He'd make something up."

Peggy chuckles.

"He's always pushed my buttons just for the fun of it. Sometimes I think he doesn't even believe his own arguments. He just wants to argue."

Peggy grins. "That's known as foreplay, sweetheart."

"Well he...kind of scares me."

"I thought you said he makes you feel safe."

"Physically, yes. Emotionally?" she shrugs.

"What kind of outcome are you so afraid of?"

Veronica takes a long time to answer, stirring her coffee again, taking a sip, and finally meeting Peggy's gaze. "The one person I need to be able to count on the most, is the one who has caused me the most emotional pain in the past... after Lilly's death..."

"So there's still some residual anger?"

"No. I was sincere when I forgave him. It was...liberating...to let go." she sighs. "But what if I try to put my trust in him, and he turns on me again?"

"Honey, what if you  _don't_  put your trust in him and he turns on you again."

"It's the same result." Veronica says.

"Exactly. If Logan turns on you again it's going to hurt badly, regardless of whether you've given him your trust or withheld it." Peggy explains. "In one scenario, you would curse yourself for being stupid enough to trust him again, and in the other case, you would wonder if offering him your trust might have made all the difference. Either way, it's gonna hurt."

Veronica looks away, focusing her eyes on a framed print on the wall depicting a Parisian café.

"Veronica, don't let fear of the unknown keep you from experiencing something that could potentially be beautiful."

"Beautiful?" Veronica shakes her head, laughing. "Logan and I? Maybe a beautiful disaster."

Peggy raises an eyebrow. "Veronica, I've been on this earth a long time, and I've seen a lot of things. When I see you and Logan together, I see a love story about to happen, and I really hope that I'm right."

"Why am I even talking about this?" Veronica scoffs, pointing at herself. "Me? I never talk about my feelings. I'm not a sharer. You need to stop being so easy to talk to. Next thing you know, I'll be spilling my mommy issues."

"How  _do_  you deal with your feelings if you never talk about them?"

"I throw myself into my work. Take on more cases. Research. But there's no work now. No cases. No stake-outs."

"And you're feeling the lack of it?"

"Yeah...I really am." Veronica answers, finishing her pumpkin roll and eyeing the remainder of the desert.

Peggy notices. "Veronica, would you like another slice of pumpkin roll?"

Veronica nods enthusiastically.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Eastern Wing**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

"Come on, Logan. Let's go on a crime spree." Veronica calls out, as she opens the door to their room.

Logan, reclining on his bed, with his hands folded on his chest, lifts an eyebrow. "Um...what do you call the past four days?"

Veronica crosses to Logan's mini-fridge to stash the remainder of Peggy's pumpkin roll, before digging through her P.I. toolbox. "If you consider running for our lives a crime spree, you need to turn in your bad boy card," she says, holding up and wiggling a set of lock picks.

Logan sighs, and pushes himself off the bed. "So what's the plan, boss?"

After Veronica had expressed concern about becoming rusty, Peggy had bemusedly given her permission to sharpen her breaking and entering skills at the motel, since their entire wing of the motel was unoccupied.

For the next hour, Veronica teaches Logan how to pick locks on the empty motel room doors. As always, he’s a quick study.

Ideally, they won't be on the run for long, but it could end up lasting for years - or even the rest of their lives.

She wouldn't be opposed to opening another P.I. Agency someday, although she would need a more substantial false identity to pass the background checks required for a P.I. license. In the meantime, it can’t hurt to train her first employee - or partner maybe, depending upon how things go.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Back in their room, Veronica props up a pillow against the headboard, makes herself comfortable, and opens her laptop. Minutes later, Logan brings her a cup of coffee, and sits down at the foot of the bed, eyeing her feet with distaste. She offers him a grateful smile, and goes back to her examination of the Lilly Kane file. For the past four days, they've been either driving or sleeping, so she hasn't had much opportunity to study the scanned documents.

"Thank you," she says, taking a sip of her coffee and sighing with pleasure. Nice.

"You're welcome."

"Darling..." Veronica starts. "When we're married will I still get this  _coffee-in-bed_  service? I'm growing quite attached to it."

Logan leers, delighted she’s finally playing his game. " _Darling_ , coffee is just one of many  _in-bed - services_  you'll be receiving when we're married." His grin draws her attention to his jawline, which has darkened to a sickening shade of mauve.

_Better to match the rest of his bruises._

Veronica grows serious. "My 'thank you' wasn't only for the coffee, Logan. It's for standing up to Ciaran, and Liam, and those six guys today; and for all the bruises you've taken defending me."

"So you're grateful?" Logan asks, raising both eyebrows.

"Yes…"

"And you want to show me your gratitude?"

"Depends…," she answers warily. "What do you have in mind?"

Logan grins widely, and stands up. Seconds later, he returns with Veronica's toiletry bag from the bathroom. He drops down onto the bottom of the bed cross-legged, and pulls Veronica's bare feet onto his lap.

"What are you up to now, Logan?" Veronica attempts to tug her feet free.

Logan holds her still. "The toenails. Have to do something about them."

"Ex _cuse_  me?"

"This color?" Logan lifts and wiggles her right foot at her. "Looks like the nasty pink stuff in a bottle for making you puke."

"Pepto Bismal?" Veronica asks with a raised eyebrow. "It's not for puking, Logan."

"Well whatever it's for, it's ugly," he answers, reaching into the bag and fishing out nail polish remover and a package of cotton balls.

"Hey, I didn't give you the okay," Veronica complains, as Logan uncaps the bottle, saturates a cotton ball and begins removing the polish on her right big toe. The scent of acetone is one Veronica has always had a love/hate relationship with and now was no exception. "Logan…"

"We can't have them not matching, can we?"

"This isn't some creepy foot fetish thing is it?" Veronica asks.

Logan pauses, lifting and examining the foot. "They are rather pretty feet - as feet go - and I wouldn't consider them a turn- _off_ , but no Veronica, your  _feet_  aren't headlining my fantasies."

"They better not be," Veronica warns.

Veronica sighs, taking a sip of her coffee and shifts her attention to her file, while Logan continues removing polish from the remaining toes on the right foot.

_Wait, did he just implicate that  other  parts of me  are  headlining his fantasies?_

Veronica shivers at the idea.

_No, Logan was just being Logan._

"You looking at the Lilly murder file?"

"How do you know about that?" Veronica asks, jerking her foot out of his hand.

Logan gently pulls her foot back to his lap, and returns to his task. "I checked your laptop while I was on the phone with Weevil to get a bead on Liam's location. I noticed the Lilly file when I minimized the GPS app."

"How much did you see, and is this the part where you start screaming at me?"

"Not much. I opened one of the witness statements and the document on me and the one on Duncan. No, I'm not going to scream at you." He finishes cleaning the polish off her second foot and begins digging through Veronica's bag again, fishing out a bottle of nail polish in a true red shade. "But I want you to answer one question for me."

"What?" Veronica asks warily.

"Why are you so sure the Kanes fabricated the time of Lilly's death?"

Veronica lowers the lid of the laptop enough to stare at Logan over the top. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, holding Logan's gaze. He doesn’t appear as if he intends to rip into her. Finally, she sighs. "Lilly's estimated time of death was around 4:15 PM on October 3rd."

"Okay. I remember the time of death being mentioned at Abel Koontz' trial," Logan says, uncapping the red polish, and precisely painting three strokes of polish on her left big toe. He glances up and gives her a half smile, urging her to continue, and then carefully paints the second toenail.

Veronica can’t help but grin at the sight of big, bad, Logan Echolls treating her toenails as if they were his artistic masterpiece.

Veronica taps on the touch pad for a moment before turning the laptop around to face Logan.

"What's that?" he asks, looking up from painting her third toenail.

"A scan of a moving violation ticket for running a red light on October 3rd at 6:02 PM. Almost two hours after her official time of death."

"Okay, but that doesn't mean anything. Duncan could have been driving her car." Logan completes polishing her left foot, and starts on the right.

Veronica clicks another icon and turns the machine back around again. He finishes the third toenail on her right foot and glances up.

"Lilly…" he exhales, his eyes haunted for a moment. "She looks like she's having fun...she's singing. When was this taken?"

"It's from the same red-light camera. Irrefutable proof Lilly was still alive two hours after her official time of death..."

Logan's jaw drops.

"None of the Kanes have alibis for 6:02 PM," Veronica says quietly.

"But Abel Koontz didn't either."

"Maybe. My dad thinks he did. He had a standing...appointment...with an escort. My dad's been searching for her for almost a year."

"How? Are you saying they paid off the medical examiner?"

"They use body temperature to get time of death."

"So wouldn't the body temperature prove she'd died two hours later?"

"Not if they iced down the body," Veronica says.

"You think Jake Kane iced down his own daughter's body to falsify her time of death?"

Veronica nods solemnly.

"Okay, assuming you're right, that's the  _how_ . What was the  _why_?" Logan asks painting the final toenail.

"That's the million dollar question," Veronica answers.

Logan leans over and blows warm breath on her toenails.

"Um...Logan? Completely unnecessary. Quick-dry polish."

"Oh…" he says, touching one of the nails with his index finger and then looking at the fingertip. He’s done a nice job. Much neater than she would have been able to achieve.

"Yeah, I guess you may have a point," he says. "There's only one reason the Kanes would cover up the time of death: to protect the murderer."

Veronica nods. "Exactly."

"Veronica, I was at their house after Lilly's death. Jake Kane was a broken man. He would have had to be a brilliant actor...I still can't - won't - believe he killed Lilly."

"What if it was an accident?"

"You think one of them accidentally bashed her in the head with an ashtray?" Logan asks.

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"I know what you're thinking, Veronica." He runs a hand through his hair and stares at the ceiling. "Veronica...he's my best friend." His eyes beg her to tell him he’s wrong.

"Hey. We don't have to come to any conclusions at this moment, Logan."

"Okay." Logan grasps at the reprieve. "Let's drop the subject. For now."

Veronica closes the murder file, and accesses her tracking application. "Weevil is not going to be happy," she says.

"Why? Is Taco Bell running low on booster seats?"

Veronica glares at him. "Can you try to not be an ass for...I don't know...five minutes?

"Starting when?" Logan asks looking at his wristwatch.

"Starting now. And Liam Fitzpatrick is cruising around Irving, Texas - as you predicted."

"So Thumper is a Fitzpatrick stooge?"

"Appears so. Great instincts, Logan."

Logan smirks. "And I look good, too! You going to call Weevil right now?"

"Tomorrow. After I've had time to think about it. We may be able to use this to our benefit."

"Good." Logan lifts Veronica's right foot from his lap and begins kneading and massaging the arch with both thumbs.

Veronica moans and her eyes roll back into her head.

Logan laughs. "You like?"

"Marry me!" Veronica demands with a laugh.

Logan's grin engulfs his entire face. "Ask me again in... six or so years." .

"Count on it," Veronica answers, with a coy smile.

Logan continues massaging - kneading with his thumbs a path from the ball of her foot to the heel and back up to pay special attention to the arch.

"God Logan, you have magic fingers!" Veronica sighs contentedly.

"I really do," he agrees. "Where would you like me to touch you next?" he waggles his eyebrows at her.

"Yeah...how about you just keep doing what you're doing." Veronica laughs. "And no, you couldn't even last five minutes."

Logan raises an eyebrow. "You question my stamina?"

"Five minutes without being an ass, you ass." Veronica shakes her head and groans at Logan's ability to turn everything sexual

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

After finishing the large dinner of takeout Logan brings back from the Moonglow, Veronica pats the bed next to her. "Get over here, we have work to do."

"Working together in bed?" Logan covers his mouth, scandalized. "I never signed up for hard labor."

"As if I'd lay back and let you do all the work..." Veronica teases, amused at the slight widening of Logan's eyes. "We're going to record a video statement telling our side of the story on my web cam. Then we'll email it to the press."

"We get to be media whores? My daddy will be so proud. Why?"

"Peggy and Dr. Tony volunteered to help us before they knew anything about Liam chasing us. I think once we show the world how dangerous and psychopathic he is, half the country will be on our side."

"I wouldn't want to meet the other half," Logan says, "I mean who could resist us?"

"I'm hoping more people will try to help  _us_  and impede  _him_."

Logan's dark eyes are soft with admiration. "And that's why you're the brains of this operation. Let's do it."

"I hoped you would agree," Veronica says.

"And when we're done, we can make the video statement too," Logan deadpans.

"Huh?" Veronica says, and then, comprehension dawning, groans at his cheesy line. She pats the bed again, and Logan obediently slides in next to her. She’s surprised how every day she becomes less – not more – immune to his clean ocean scent.

Her laptop rests on a pillow on her thighs, and she adjusts its placement until both she and Logan are visible within the frame.

"Ready?" she asks.

Logan nods, and Veronica hits record. They spend the next twenty minutes and several takes telling their side of the story to the web cam.

Veronica brews them both fresh cups of coffee while Logan works on editing the footage into a simple video statement. Afterward, they review the car chase footage together. There isn’t anything in the video that might be used to identify their vehicle, but Logan has to snip out several frames showing Duncan or freeway exit signs.

"Done?" he asks Veronica finally.

"Done. Excellent job, by the way. You're talented at this."

"No big," Logan ducks his head.

Taking the laptop back, Veronica logs on to her VPN, creating a new web mail account with false information. She searches the C-NOW website until she finds an email address for Ann Marler.

"Why her?" Logan asks.

"Couldn't say. There's something non-conformist about her I like. She's not as plastic as the others."

Veronica carefully composes an email, attaching the photos of Danny Boyd and the three videos - their statement, Liam's threats at the motel, and the car chase. She hesitates. "Do you think I should attach the photos of my bruises?"

"Absolutely not. You were in your underwear."

"I know, but it's proof of the damage Ciaran did."

"Save them for the trial - if there ever is one." Logan suggests. "I don't want the whole world seeing you half naked."

"Do you think I do? Do you think it doesn't sicken me? But it  _will_  help to make our point."

"Veronica, please?" Logan asks. "How about we go through them and find some close-ups that only show the bruises?"

"Fine…" Veronica acquiesces. "Let's see if that will work." She brings up the photos Logan had taken of her bruises and pages through them one-by-one.

"How about these four?" Veronica asks, displaying four close-ups.

"Not that one," Logan says, pointing. "It shows cleavage."

"Logan…" Veronica says, sighing. "It's one of the best shots to show the damage he did."

"Fine." Logan pouts, glancing away.

Veronica can detach herself emotionally from the photos, but it isn’t so easy for Logan. His rigid posture, clenched jaw and anxious eyes show her how much the photos disturb him.

"I have a better idea," Veronica says, "How about I send all of the photos with the caveat that they can't show them on the air, but can report on the contents."

"It's the press. They'll never go for that."

"We explain that if they air the photos, we'll go to their competition next time."

Logan thinks about it and shrugs. "If you're sure."

Veronica attaches the photos to the email, before she can change her mind.

"You ready?" she asks. "We can't take this back once we hit send."

"Are  _you_  ready?" he asks.

"Yeah…" she says, nervously. "Okay, here goes." She hits the send button.

_Too late to take back now._

Veronica notices Logan's fists are still clenched from seeing the photos of her bruises.

_Great! I can't deal with an emo Logan the rest of the evening._

_I will have to find some way to distract him._

She thinks of his amazing foot massage.

_Maybe I'll give him a job for those hands instead of clenching._

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

The knot in Logan's throat is a good sign he’s becoming keyed-up. The sight of Veronica's bruised body in the photos had left him itching for a fight. For the twentieth time, he wishes Ciaran Fitzpatrick were still alive so he could do the honors himself.

A quick glance at Veronica tells him she’s aware of his agitation and is not thrilled at the prospect of dealing with him in his current state. He rolls his shoulders back to ease the tension, twice, and then closes his eyes and exhales.

"So what now?" he asks, calmer now.

"How about you make yourself useful with those magic fingers?" Veronica asks, twisting to set her laptop down on the nightstand.

A giant grin spreads across Logan's face. Veronica had obviously meant something innocent by the remark, but he can’t resist pushing his luck. "I thought you'd never ask," he says, reaching for the top button on Veronica's shirt.

"LOGAN!" she yells, shoving him away.

"Kidding!" he laughs, holding up both of his hands.

"Yeah right," Veronica mutters, shaking her head. "So if I hadn't pushed you away?"

Logan waggles his eyebrows. "Let's start all over, and we can find out."

Veronica's eyes roll skyward.

"Okay...So how were  _you_  planning for me to use my magic fingers?" he wiggles them at Veronica. "They're at your disposal."

Veronica grasps his offered hand and relocates it to the back of her neck.

"Neck massage?" he asks.

"Please..." she says. "I've been so stiff...since the attack."

"Okay, come sit here," Logan says, spreading his legs wide and patting the space between them. He watches Veronica calculating the potential risks and, obviously finding him harmless, moves to kneel where he'd indicated, sitting back on her heels. She reaches for a hair tie on the nightstand and hands it to Logan. He looks at it curiously for a moment, and then gathers her hair off her neck securing it into a messy ponytail.

"So now I've done your hair  _and_  your toenails. Is it almost time for the half-naked pillow fight?"

"If you play your cards right, I may not  _smother_  you with a pillow," Veronica counters.

"Deal!"

As Logan begins kneading the base of her neck with his thumbs, Veronica's eyes close and her head falls forward in pleasure.

Logan's eyes softens. "I love watching how much you love being touched."

"You're crazy," Veronica mumbles.

_Crazy for you!_

"Didn't Duncan ever touch you?" Logan is compelled to ask.

"Innocently, for the most part - my face, my hands, my lower back."

"He ever rub your neck like this?"

Logan alternates the soft pressure of his fingers with the insistent pressure of his thumbs working his way up and down the smooth skin of her neck.

"Not that I can recall," she answers, and Logan smiles on the inside.

"He at least tried to get your shirt off, right?"

"God, Logan! Duncan wasn't like that!" Veronica insists. "Not that it's any of your business, but he wanted to take his time and not rush into anything."

"So you were bored to tears and sexually frustrated?"

Veronica's snort of laughter is as good as confirmation, however unintentional it had been.

Logan leans forward to whisper in her ear. "If you had been my girlfriend, I never would have taken my hands off of you." Below the coconut scent of her hair is another scent. More subtle. Marshmallow, maybe?

 _" Girlfriend_ _?_ I'm only your platonic fugitive traveling companion, and you still never take your hands off me," Veronica says, in the voice people use when they're trying too hard to appear unaffected. It doesn’t matter. Logan has already witnessed her involuntary shiver at his words.

"Would you like me to take my hands off you now?"

"Don't you dare!" she says.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

She seems to particularly like it when his fingers work the place where her neck meets her skull, so he keeps moving upwards.

He's always found it heavenly when his stylist spends several minutes massaging his scalp during the shampooing, so he applies the same technique to Veronica, making large circular patterns with the pads of his fingers and thumbs. Strands of silky hair escape from her ponytail, falling around her face, and Logan thinks the effect is pretty.

Veronica's breath quickens, and she leans back against his chest. "Perfect," she exhales.

When his fingers find the top of her scalp, her head drops back bonelessly onto his shoulder, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. She doesn’t seem to realize her lips are mere inches from Logan's.

He lets out a groan. "I think that's enough for now, V."

"No! Please don't stop," she pleads.

"Um...you're kind of in my kissing space."

Logan watches Veronica's eyes fly open. When she realizes how close they were, she jerks as if to jump up.

"Hey, you don't have to go," Logan says, putting a hand on each shoulder. "It's okay. Just maybe...don't put your lips inches from mine - unless you want to make out." he flashes a quick grin. "I'm only a guy."

Veronica hesitates, and then shifts so she’s sitting on her butt instead of her heels. He returns his attention to her neck for several minutes and then moves to the tops of her shoulders, rubbing and kneading. He can feel the tension in her muscles.

"If you took off your shirt, I could give you a proper massage." Logan mentions, helpfully.

 _" Topless ,  massage ,  Logan Echolls  and  proper_ _."_ Veronica counts out on her fingers. "One of these things is not like the others," she sings, and he chuckles.

For fifteen minutes - give or take - they lapse into silence, the only sounds the occasional sighs from Veronica when he manipulates a spot particularly well.

When his hands begin to cramp up, he wraps his arms around Veronica and she leans back against him. He rests his chin on the top of her head.

"So three months on the yacht…" she says, finally breaking the quiet.

"Yeah, we should be safe for three months."

"And after?"

"I don't know," he answers honestly. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Well, we need to," Veronica says. "So we can plan."

"Well...I guess we'll move back to the mainland - Miami, or maybe North Carolina. I'll work on the docks. You'll work the diner all day."

"Livin' on a prayer, huh?" Veronica grins.

"We've got each other and that's a lot…"

"But seriously, folks…" Veronica says.

She shifts her position, turning 90 degrees to her right, hugging her knees to her chest and pressing her ear to the heartbeat she knows so well. Logan's arms readjust to their new position, his hands meeting and clasping near her left hip.

"I don't know, Veronica," he says, "I've never had a job before. I have no skills."

"That's not what I hear," Veronica says, winking at him suggestively.

Logan laughs softly. "You should know better to listen to rumors without a proper  _investigation_ ," he whispers, brushing her bangs back. The affectionate look in Veronica's eyes almost floors him. He can’t believe she’s allowing him to hold her this way.

_This is even better than when she looks turned on. She actually likes me again._

"What are your thoughts?" he asks.

"I don't know, I always thought I'd go to Stanford and then into the FBI. That's not likely now. I never had a backup plan."

"I'm sorry that your dream got crushed," Logan says with sincerity.

Veronica closes her eyes, but continues speaking. "Not just my dream. Duncan's dream of being President. Your dream of…?"

Logan shrugs. "Never had one, really, except to hold on to Lilly for dear life. I don't think Duncan ever  _really_ wanted to be President, either. He just wanted to please everybody else."

"You think?"

"Yeah."

"Well...you're good at surfing," Veronica says.

"What are you saying? I should go pro?"

"No, too visible, but maybe you could give surfing lessons. Eventually you could open a surf school."

"Surfing in Miami is a lot different than SoCal"

"People need lessons everywhere."

"Yeah...maybe. It's worth consideration. What about you?"

"I was thinking earlier when I was teaching you how to pick locks that maybe I could open my own detective agency someday. Maybe we could work together."

"You want to work with  _me_?"

"Sure, why not. You said it last night, brawn and brains. We make a good team."

"Partners?"

"Maybe."

"Ronnie and Clyde Investigations?" Logan asks, bemusedly.

"Not exactly a name to inspire confidence in our clients."

"True. So...you mean you would get to drive around like a badass and I would get to punch people in the face?"

Veronica laughs softly, "If completely necessary. Stakeouts and research were more what I had in mind." She glances up at his face. "You're not so bad to look at. You'd make a good honey trap."

"A honey trap? Whose honey?"

"Trophy wives. You're well qualified."

Logan pulls back, insulted. "Ex _cuse_  me? You want to whore me out?"

"Shhh...No!" Veronica laughs, scooting her right hip closer so that she can sit up straighter. She moves her feet to the outside of Logan's right leg and leans her head against his upper chest, her forehead even with his chin. Out of the kissing zone, but not by much. "You don't have to have sex. You just have to get them to proposition you."

"Oh…"

"Oh…hell." Her face falls, and she brings her hand up to touch his arm. "I'm so sorry. I forgot about our first conversation. You've been dealing with women propositioning you your entire life. I wouldn't ask you to do that."

Logan's eyes soften. The girl remembered everything. "Hey, it's okay Veronica. A strange woman propositioning me is a much different thing than scores of women using me to proposition my dad by proxy. I can be your honey pot."

"Honey trap," she laughs.

"That too. So you're saying I could actually make a living just standing around being my own hot self?" Logan asks.

"You wish! Most of the time, it's cheating spouse cases, which means boring old stakeouts."

"They look so sexy in the movies."

"No...Not so much."

"But the money shots have to be hot, right?"

"Sorry, Logan. You'd be disappointed. Most couples having sex just...aren't very interesting: Kiss kiss. Man on top. Hump hump. Groan. Light up a smoke."

Logan snorts in laughter.

"In fact, three seconds of your—" Veronica stops, covering her mouth.

"Of my what?" Logan asks.

"Nothing."

Logan wracks his brain trying to figure out what Veronica could be referring to. "My sex tape?"

"Nooooooo," Veronica goes overkill on the nonchalant eye rolling.

"Yeahhh. You're totally talking about my sex tape." Logan teases.

"Shut up,"

"Three seconds of my sex tape was what? Hotter?"

Veronica tries to pull away, but Logan tightens his arms around her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"There's no room on this bed for me and your ego," Veronica pouts.

"You're not going anywhere until you admit it." Logan says lightly rocking her side to side.

"Fine, I admit it. You're crazy."

"Admit that you thought my sex tape was hot."

"Nope!" Veronica laughs trying again to pull away.

"Repeat after me. Logan. Echolls. Gives. Good. Sex. Tape."

"Logan. Echolls. Is. A. Slut." Veronica giggles.

"Could you at least write it down?"

"What do you want?  _Logan's Sex Tape - A Critical Analysis by Veronica Mars_?"

"Yes, that would be acceptable. Except for the critical part," Logan's eyes sparkle. "What part did you like best?"

"The part where you turned it off."

"Liar! I bet you liked my ass."

"You'd bet wrong."

"Hell, even I like my ass. It's pretty impressive."

Veronica's cheeks flush a bit. Logan smiles and files that tidbit away. Veronica likes his butt.

"I'll let you off the hook. This time."

"I'll let you keep all your teeth. This time." Veronica says.

"Ohhh! She threatens physical violence." Logan laughs. He loves the way she’s leaning against him, smiling with her eyes closed. She looks happy and content. He leans over and kisses the tip of her nose.

Her eyes open. "What was that for?"

"Does a man need an excuse to kiss his hot blonde fiancée, who happens to like his ass?"

"Man? Is there a man in here? All I see is an overgrown little boy."

"Boy, huh?" His grin becomes challenging. You're going to eat those words, Mars."

Veronica's eyes twinkle up at him in amusement. He wonders if she realizes that her thumb is tracing little half-circles on the back of his hand. He wonders if she even realizes yet that there’s something going on between them. Something inevitable. The girl can be a master at self-deception and stuffing down her emotions.

"You got serious all of a sudden," she says.

He shifts his focus back to her. "Just thinking about collision courses."

"Collision courses?" Veronica repeats, but her eyes tell him she knows exactly what he’s talking about.

"Yeah," he smiles softly, and she smiles back.

Logan wants Veronica badly. The thought of the things he would do to her naked body is constantly at the back of his mind.

But in that moment, he realizes that he would happily do this for hours – cuddling and bickering without ever even considering taking it further. He wants to tell her about this revelation, but thinks maybe calling attention to their cuddling might make her pull away. This situation is…delicate.

Veronica's eyes are closed, so Logan closes his own eyes as well. Maybe just a twenty-minute nap would be nice.

There’s a knocking at the door.

"Go away," Logan calls.

"Okay," comes the voice from outside their door. "I'll just leave your catatonic friend here on the doorstep."

Logan groans. "How much trouble do you think he could get into out on the doorstep?" he murmurs under his breath.

"Well...he might wander into the pool, and he's not wearing his water wings," Veronica whispers back.

"I suppose we should let him in then?"

"Yeah, if we don't want the CFPS called on us," Veronica says. At Logan's questioning glance, she clarifies as if it should be obvious. "Catatonic Friend Protective Services, duh."

"Ahh…We can't be having that. Guess I'll let Junior in."

"Don't sound so excited. He's your best friend." Veronica leans forward allowing Logan to slip out from behind her and stands.

"Yeah, but these days, you're a lot more fun." He grins, holding out a hand and pulling Veronica to her feet.

_For a few minutes there, it had been almost perfect with her. There goes the mood._

"Hello," he says when he opens the door. Dr. Tony stands outside with his right hand on Duncan's shoulder. Duncan gazes vacantly off into space. "Thought you were going to call before bringing him back."

"Oops." Tony says, dryly.

"How is he?" Logan asks, noticing the way Tony is studying Veronica. He glances at her, and then looks back at Tony with a self-satisfied smirk.

"He's better off after the meds and the nutritional IV, but no change. You don't need to make any decisions tonight. I have to be somewhere right now, but I can come back tomorrow around lunchtime to tell you what Duncan's next options are."

"Okay," Logan says, "Hey, we really appreciate your help."

"Not a problem," Tony says reaching for and shaking Logan's hand. He smiles at Veronica, waves, and then leaves.

Together, they lead Duncan over to the other double bed and make him lay down.

"I noticed some macho posturing between you and the doctor again," Veronica says, "What was that all about?"

Logan laughs. "He was noticing how your hair looks like you've been thoroughly fucked, and I was allowing him to think that I'm responsible."

Veronica gapes at him.

"Which I am," he says. "Responsible for the state of your hair, I mean. Just not in the way he suspected."

"How do you get all that from a single look?"

"Evil genius, remember?" Logan answers, pointing to himself. "Find weakness. Exploit it."

Veronica's eyes begin to harden, so Logan backpedals. "But I would never do that to you...um...anymore."

She crosses her arms over her chest.

"I've pissed you off again."

"You don't say."

Logan steps up to her and gives her his  _I'm-too-cute-to-stay-mad-at_  grin. She continues to appear annoyed, so he wraps his arms around her and pulls her close. "I guess I'll just have to make it up to you then."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Veronica asks twisting out of his grasp.

"Be back in ten minutes," he says, heading for the door.

He’s halfway out the door when Veronica calls after him. "You can't just hug me every time I get angry at you! I'm immune to your charms, Echolls!"

An arrogant grin stretches across Logan's face. Leaving the door half-open, he saunters back to Veronica. Seeing the aggressive glint in his eyes, she takes a step back, bumping up against the wall. Logan looms over her, several inches too close, his eyes meeting hers - wide, blue, and nervous. His hand rises to cup her cheek, and he smirks when her breath hitches and her eyes close involuntarily. Leaning over, he allows his lips to touch her ear as he whispers, "No you're not." Snickering at her full-body shiver, he turns to leave.

"But at least you're finally admitting that I have charms," he calls back as he closes the door. "That's progress."

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Veronica spends several moments staring at the door. Had that really just happened?

_Find weakness. Exploit it. Demonstrate this ability by exploiting  my  weakness._

_Logan Echolls! Freaking arrogant Logan Echolls!_

How can he talk about making things up to her in one moment, and act like a jackass in the next?

_He knows! He knows how much he affects me, and he used it against me._

If he thinks he’s going to come back here in a few minutes and everything will be hunky dory, he has another thing coming. He might be used to girls falling all over themselves for him, but he doesn’t know Veronica Mars. Okay, so maybe he knows her better than most people do.

What is she supposed to say?

_I'm angry because you've managed to figure out how much you affect me? I'm angry because you're ridiculously hot and you know it?_

_I'm angry because every time I think you're going to kiss me, you decide not to. Every. Single. Time._

But that’s good, right? Kissing Logan would be the worst mistake she could make. It would ruin everything - especially this fragile truce.

_So then why do I feel so bereft when it doesn't happen? As if he's playing keep-away with something that belongs to me?_

So maybe she doesn’t have the words to express to Logan why she’s angry, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to let him off the hook. He’s going to have to do better than hugs. She’s pissed, dammit.

There’s a pounding on the door.

"Veronica, It's me. My hands are full."

Veronica crosses to the door and flings it open with hostility.

"Forgive me?" Logan asks, with full puppy-dog eyes, holding out a hot fudge sundae in his hand.

She tries to fight it, but the grin is stronger than her resolve. It takes control of her face. "Yeah…"

"I noticed an ice cream stand over by that theater. Anything yet on our video statement?"

"No, but I expect any minute now."

"Let's be naughty," Logan says.

"Naughty?" Veronica gulps.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, woman. I meant, let's eat ice cream in bed. Sheesh."

Veronica gives him a flirty little eyebrow flick. "Sounds decadent,"

 

They sit together waiting for their news segment and working on their sundaes. Afraid that she might begin again with the never-ending-ode-to-Logan's-eye color, she carefully avoids meeting them.

 

**CNOW - ALL NEWS ALL DAY**

[Logo fades to the 'official' media photo of Logan and Veronica with a Breaking News headline.]

**ANCHOR:**  We have breaking news on the Neptune Three. This evening, our own Ann Marler received a video statement from Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls themselves. Ann, what can you tell us?

[Cut to split screen - Ann Marler on the left, the anchor on the right.]

**MARLER** **:** Thanks Rebecca, about one hour ago, I received an email from Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls.

**ANCHOR:**  Was there any indication of where the email was sent from?

**MARLER:**  It's impossible to tell. It was routed through the Seychelles.

**ANCHOR:**  Tell me more about the email.

**MARLER:**   It contained three video attachments and a handful of photos. We were asked not to show some of the photos, but we are allowed to describe them.

**ANCHOR:**  How would you describe them?

**MARLER:**   They're photos of Veronica in her undergarments from the day after the attack. They show dark bruises on Veronica's breasts, thighs, neck, stomach, back and upper arms. The bruises on the stomach are particularly bad. Her thighs are covered in deep scratches, as well as the side of her face.

**ANCHOR** **:** Is there any chance that the photos could have been staged?

**MARLER:**  The injuries in the photos are consistent with the footage from the park.

**ANCHOR:**  And I understand one of the video attachments is a statement from Veronica and Logan?

**MARLER:**   Correct.

**ANCHOR:**  Let's go to tape.

 

"Ready for your debut?" Logan asks.  

"As ready as I'll ever be."

 

[Screen cuts to Veronica's video. Veronica and Logan sit together on the bed, very close by necessity. Veronica's hair is down and loose.]

**VERONICA:**  Hi. My name is Veronica Mars.

**LOGAN:** (sideways wave) Logan  Echolls.

**VERONICA:**  Our friend, Duncan Kane was supposed to be with us for this statement, but he's on an important errand, and hasn't returned yet.

**LOGAN:** (Questioning look)  Maybe we should give him a few more minutes?

**VERONICA:**  Not if we want to make the evening news. We can tape a separate statement when he gets back.

**LOGAN:**  Okay.

**VERONICA:**  There has been a lot of speculation around what happened four days ago at Neptune Community Park and since. We would like to tell our side of the story.

[Veronica looks to Logan and he gives her a reassuring smile.]

**VERONICA:**  Four days ago, I accepted a case on behalf of Mars Investigations to obtain proof of drug dealing in the Neptune Community Park.

[Veronica takes a deep breath.]

**VERONICA:**  I made several mistakes that day, the first being, accepting a case I was not qualified for. I knew that my father wouldn't approve, but I was blinded by the size of the check. You see, my father works hard, and comes home exhausted more nights than not. I wanted to be able to significantly contribute to our household so that my dad could finally get some rest.

[Logan gives Veronica a half-smile of encouragement.]

**LOGAN:**  My second mistake that day was not taking backup. Between kids swimming at the pool, and teams playing baseball, football and soccer, most days of the week the community park is packed. The one thing I hadn't banked on was that the park would be empty.

**LOGAN:**  Or me. She lost track of Fitzpatrick because I distracted her.

**VERONICA:** (turning to Logan and putting a hand on his arm) You  couldn't have known. Don't blame yourself.

**VERONICA:**   I spent nearly an hour photographing Ciaran Fitzpatrick selling drugs. After I'd lost sight of him, I jotted down some notes about what I'd seen, and began heading to my car. Ciaran snuck up behind me and grabbed me by the hair, dragging me across the parking lot to the fenced area around the maintenance shed.

[Veronica hesitates, as if steeling herself for the next part. She looks to Logan, who gives her a small nod.]

**VERONICA:**  Most of you have seen what happened next. He threw me against the brick building and attempted to rape me.

[Cut to split screen. Left side shows Logan and Veronica. Logan reaches for her hand and squeezes. Right side of the screen shows footage from the rape attempt.]

**VERONICA** **:** What you cannot get from the video footage is that he threatened my life and my father's. He told me that his brother Liam had been meaning to get rid of my father. I was positive that I would not be leaving that park alive.

**VERONICA:**  You know what comes next. Logan arrived. Duncan arrived a moment later and had his…

**LOGAN:**   ...episode.

[Split screen returns to full screen of Logan/Veronica's statement.]

**VERONICA:**  I knew Liam Fitzpatrick had been linked to several disappearances, so I had my worries. But after speaking to one of my contacts, I found out just how close Liam and Ciaran were.

**LOGAN:**   We had a long discussion and ultimately decided we needed to get out of town.

**VERONICA:**   The deciding factor was when my contact told us how Liam Fitzpatrick would go after our families to get information about our whereabouts. That's when we knew we had to cut off all contact with our families and friends, for their own safety.

**LOGAN:**   Veronica actually held-out the longest. So much for Deputy Lamb's theory that she's 'leading us around by the noses'.

[Veronica smirks at Logan's use of the word 'Deputy']

**VERONICA:**  Our suspicions about our safety were confirmed the next morning.

**LOGAN:**  I was bringing breakfast back to our room when a man named Danny Boyd...

**VERONICA:**   Liam Fitzpatrick's cousin

**LOGAN:** ... captured me at gunpoint and handcuffed me in his car, torturing me.

**VERONICA** **:**   (Eyes worried)  He tortured you?

**LOGAN** **:** Not physically...but his vehicle was a filthy roach-infested health-code violation, and he kept flashing me pictures from a porn magazine full of underage girls who looked just like my dead ex-girlfriend.

**VERONICA:**  That's not exactly torture.

**LOGAN:**  Oh...and he ate my donuts.

**VERONICA:**   (smirking)  Okay, that's torture.

**LOGAN:**   I heard him call Liam Fitzpatrick. Liam was on the highway, only an hour away from where we were. Now he would have happily tortured me to get information on where Veronica and Duncan were hiding .

[Veronica shudders]

**LOGAN:**   (his voice full of bravado, but his eyes, looking at Veronica are full of promise)  But he never would have broken me.

**VERONICA:** (soft smile) I  know.

**LOGAN:**   Luckily, Veronica came to  **my**  rescue .  She snuck up wearing a disguise, and disabled him with her taser.

 

"Your disguise was the real torture of that day," Logan says, watching the video from bed. "When can you wear it again? You can teach me how to work…" He waggles his eyebrows. " _..._ _undercover_."

He squeals when Veronica pinched him on the leg.

 

**VERONICA:**  We moved him to our motel and handcuffed him to the toilet with the cuffs he'd used on Logan.

**LOGAN:**   to buy time for us to get away.

[Cuts away from footage of Logan and Veronica to three still photos of a clothed Danny Boyd handcuffed to the toilet.]

**LOGAN:**   The next morning, Liam Fitzpatrick himself found us.

**VERONICA:**   He was going around motels showing our pictures.

**LOGAN:**   I was loading our bags in the car when I heard Veronica screaming. She came running around the corner with Liam right on her heels.

**VERONICA:**   When he saw Logan, he attacked him. Logan fought back the best that he could but…

**LOGAN:**   (looking disgruntled)  Hey, I held my own.

**VERONICA:**   (grinning and patting his shoulder)   Of course you did, but Liam is not only bigger and stronger, but…

**LOGAN:**  He feels no pain. At all. I knocked him down a couple times, but he kept getting back up. Until…

**VERONICA:**  I tasered him.

**LOGAN:**  We handcuffed him to the sink.

**VERONICA:**  And then he threatened our lives. I recorded it on my video camera.

[Video statement pauses and cuts to the footage of Liam making threats.]

 

Veronica, watching the footage, manages to keep her composure, but she can feel the tension rolling off Logan. She reaches for his hand and squeezes it.

 

[Liam footage ends and cuts back to Logan/Veronica statement.]

**VERONICA:**  Logan was hurt. Turn your face, Logan.

**LOGAN:** (pouting)  No, this is my good side.

[Veronica grabs Logan's chin and gently turns his head so that the bruised left side of his face shows on the screen. Logan sighs and rolls his eyes.]

**VERONICA:**  Show what he did to your ribs.

**LOGAN:**   No. It's no big deal. I'll be fine.

**VERONICA:**   (warning voice) Logan …

**LOGAN:** (waits to see if she relents, and then sighs and lifts up his shirt)

[Logan's stomach is covered in bruises. A gash runs across his ribs. On-screen Veronica winces.]

 

"The things you'll do to get me naked," Logan says, with a wink.

"As I recall, I'm the one always telling you to put some clothes on"

"Obligatory protest."

 

**VERONICA:** (reaching out to run her fingers along Logan's wound)  He probably should have gotten stitches. Liam was wearing a ring .

**LOGAN:** (small indulgent smile)  I'm fine, Veronica.

**VERONICA:**   We left Liam behind in the motel, cuffed to the sink.

**LOGAN:**  But we moved his car…

**VERONICA:**  To slow him down, so that we could get more of a head start.

**LOGAN:**  But then we overheated on the freeway and had to wait for our vehicle to cool down.

**VERONICA:**  He caught up with us on the highway and began chasing us...

**LOGAN** **:** ...At 100 miles per hour. I caught it on video.

[Veronica/Logan statement pauses, and cuts to the car chase video.]

 

As they watch the car chase video on TV, Veronica notices how Logan leans forward, eyes shiny with excitement. She remembers him admitting how the car chase had turned him on, and shivers.

[Onscreen, Veronica spins Liam's car into a ditch and then smiles into the camera saying "Physics, darling".]

"You know, every man in America just fell in love with you, right?" Logan says.

"Every man?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Well...unless they're gay”

Veronica's eyes lock onto Logan's.

"...or blind," he says.

Questions run on a loop in her inner monologue, but she knows better than to speak.

"...or have crappy taste in women." he bites his lip and breaks eye contact, smiling down at his lap.

Veronica lets out the breath she had been holding. "Like the girls won't be all over you for your cute little narration thing."

"You thought I was cute?"

"Maybe amusing was the word I was looking for. What was it you wanted to tell me anyway?"

"Tell you?"

"Right before we ran Liam off the road. You were trying to make some kind of deathbed confession. You said there was something you've always needed to tell me, and then complained when I ruined your dramatic moment."

"Oh...that."  _Is Logan actually blushing?_  "I'll tell you some other time. Maybe."

 

[The car chase video cuts to Veronica/Logan statement video.]

**VERONICA:**   We managed to lose Liam Fitzpatrick on a country road, and we haven't seen him since yesterday.

**VERONICA:**  I imagine most of you believe that we should turn ourselves in. Unfortunately, we can't do that. Even if Sheriff Lamb doesn't hand us over to Liam, the Fitzpatricks could easily get to us in jail.

**LOGAN:**  All we want is to be left in peace.

**VERONICA:**  And safety

**LOGAN:**  We're not the bad guys here. One Fitzpatrick tried to rape my...um...Veronica, and the other has tried to kill us on two occasions. Liam threatened to rape an already traumatized girl.

**LOGAN:**   We just wanted to ask the viewers. If you see us, please just look away.

**VERONICA:**  We're not dangerous. This isn't about money or any type of personal gain…

**LOGAN**  ...We just want to be left alone.

**VERONICA:**  I would like to tell my father one more time that I love him.

**LOGAN:**  Hi mom.  (Cheesy grin and a wave).

[Video statement ends. Cuts to news anchor.]

**ANCHOR:**  We will keep you up to the minute on any developments in the case. Thank you for watching C-NOW.

[Cuts to C-NOW logo]

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Logan takes care of Duncan's needs first and puts him to bed. He cleans up while waiting for his own turn in the bathroom, putting things away, and stuffing their dirty clothes in the drawstring bag. Peggy had mentioned a laundry room somewhere in their wing of the motel. He would have to go searching for it tomorrow - or the next morning at the latest.

Once Veronica is done, he brushes his teeth, washes his face, and dabs Neosporin on his wounds. He slaps on more deodorant and some facial products to keep his skin pretty and baby smooth. He decides he doesn’t like his hair color much. It’s a bit darker than his natural shade, but he hadn't a lot of time at Target to search for a better match. With luck, it’ll grow out soon.

Veronica stands by the dresser examining the framed picture of the Fab Four, when Logan comes out of the bathroom. He steps up behind her looking over her shoulder.

"We were so innocent then," she says.

"Speak for yourself. I was never innocent."

Veronica's eyes meet his in the mirror, and she quickly looks away, placing the photo back down. She adjusts it - twice - to find the perfect placement and crosses her arms over her chest, causing her shirt to ride up a bit.

Absorbed by the sight of her, Logan steps closer and reaches around Veronica, his fingertips tentatively brushing the sliver of skin.

Her eyes snap up to find his in the reflection.

"May I?" Logan asks. "The bruises?"

Veronica gives him a barely perceptible nod, and he slides her tank up a few inches with his left hand. The bruises that had made his stomach clench two days ago have faded to a faint yellow discoloration. He runs his fingertips over them and glances at her face. She takes a shaky breath, and closes her eyes, as if she’s afraid to watch him touch her.

"Does that hurt?" he asks running his fingers over her skin again.

Her eyes open reluctantly, meeting his, flicking away, and flicking back. "Barely."

Logan brings his hand to his mouth, kisses three fingertips and presses them to her belly where the largest bruise is.

A range of emotions skitters through Veronica's eyes: need, desire, fear, suspicion, and finally, something resembling defeat.

_Does she think I'm trying to hurt her?_

Logan smooths Veronica's tank down to cover her skin and wraps his arms around her from behind, pulling her close and resting his chin on the top of her head. He holds her eyes in the mirror until she sighs and closes them. He closes his as well, spending several moments just breathing with her.

He drops his nose to her shoulder, inhaling her scent. He can’t help but notice her nipples are hard under her top, and in his imagination, he bites the spaghetti strap of her tank and drags it off her shoulder, baring her breast.

He shakes the image free. Not the time for thoughts like that. She isn’t like Lilly or Caitlin. First, he needs to win her heart. He straightens and gives her a chaste kiss on the temple.

Veronica's eyes fly open, now firm with resolve. She shoves his hands away and steps out of the circle of his arms.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something?"

"What is this, Logan?" Veronica gestures between him and herself. "I know we need to keep up our cover in public, and we can't help it when we're asleep, but…" she lets out a deep sigh and drops her arms. "What's the excuse now? This flirty stuff needs to stop."

Logan leans back, sitting on the dresser. "I wasn't trying to upset you."

"I get it Logan. I know - that's just who you are. You're a toucher."

"And that's a problem for you?"

"No!...Yes!...I don't know!"

"It wasn't bothering you earlier. What's changed since then?" Logan asks carefully.

It’s only for a second, but Veronica's eyes flick to Duncan, and Logan feels his heart break.

"Oh. I get it." He catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and turns away so Veronica can’t see how she's hurt him. He walks to the nightstand, keeping his back to her, and fiddles with the charger for the burner cell.

"What's there to get, Logan?" she demands.

"Duncan."

"You're not making any sense," Veronica says in exasperation.

"Makes perfect sense to me."

Veronica crosses her arms over her chest, eyes flinty. "By all means, elaborate."

"Fine," Logan spins back around to Veronica, eyes snapping. "Somewhere in that pretty little head of yours, you're hoping that this little road trip will lead to a reunion between you and lover boy. The prince and the princess - Happily fucking after."

"That's ridiculous," Veronica says.

"Is it? I asked you what's changed, and you looked at him." Logan drops to the bed and hugs one knee to his chest. "Hell, if Duncan has any thought process in that zombie head of his, he's probably hoping for the same thing."

"He dumped me, remember?"

"And break-ups last forever, right? Ask Lilly."

"Logan…"

"So you and Duncan will end up getting back together. But you know what you don't realize? That would be the worst possible thing you could do."

"And why is that, Logan?" Her eyes are narrow and challenging. "Shouldn't you be standing up for your BFF?"

"Because he doesn't want you! He wants Vanilla Veronica."

"Vanilla Veronica?" her voice rises in pitch. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"The person you are now? You're too dark. Too edgy. You make Duncan uncomfortable."

"I'm not trying to be with Duncan!"

"But you will, and then you'll completely change yourself to be what he wants."

"Are you deaf?" Veronica yells.

"I will be, if you keep shouting!”

"Why would I change myself for Duncan?"

"I don't know, why did you do it before?"

"I didn't!"

"Yes you did! You traded in your pigtails and soccer uniform, jeans and silly tee shirts for sweater sets and sundresses."

"You're insulting my clothes, now?"

"You went from a cute little tomboy to a girly-girl."

"What do you have against girly-girls? I seem to recall you slutting around with enough of them."

"Nothing, but it wasn't you. It was you trying to be what Duncan wanted. Making yourself smaller. You weren't the fierce little soccer playing Veronica anymore, you were just…fake. A giggly, perfect, Politician's Wife Barbie. It wasn't you."

"What do you know about who I really am?"

"A whole lot more than Duncan, obviously."

"He was my boyfriend. Why wouldn't I want him to think I looked pretty? Why wouldn't I want to make him happy?"

"Forget it, Veronica," Logan says.

"No, let's have this out. Why do you think you even have a say?"

"I don't. Forget it."

"You think you're so damn important? You think I should be what you want me to be instead?"

Logan laughs bitterly, running a hand through his hair. "You always have been!"

Veronica pauses on the verge of another outburst and stares at him - for three beats - before she picks right back up with the argument. "I can't believe we're fighting about clothes!"

"We're not! We're fighting about you running back to Duncan!"

"I'm not! And it couldn't be less of your business!"

"It  _is_  my business. This is about survival, Veronica!" Logan jumps up, becoming animated. "Would  _Duncan's_ Veronica be a badass in a car chase? Would  _Duncan's_  Veronica jump on Liam Fitzpatrick's back and try to scratch his eyes out before he could kick me? Would _Duncan's_  Veronica pin a PCHer to the wall with a truck?"

Veronica only glares at him.

"No." he sighs, calming. " _My_  Veronica is the one that does that stuff."

"I am not - nor have I ever been -  _your_  Veronica." she hisses.

"Guess not. My mistake." Logan's eyes drop, and he turns away, but Veronica isn't done.

"What is this, Logan? That jealous boyfriend thing again?"

"I don't—"

"You're not my boyfriend, Logan!"

"Thanks for the heads up."

"You never were!"

"I'm aware of that, Veronica."

"You never wanted to be!"

_Never wanted to be? Never fucking wanted to be? What does she think...?_

"What makes you—" he starts.

"You just don't want anybody else to be with me, because then you wouldn't have my undivided attention," she interrupts.

"Veronica…" he sighs. He reaches up to fiddle with his pukka shells, forgetting they’re no longer there.

"Even when we were fighting for the past year, you wanted all of my attention. You wouldn't let me be a part of your life, but you wouldn't let me move on, either."

Logan stares at her. She’s so pretty when she’s irate. She has a point, too. But he’s still hung up on the fact that she thinks he never wanted her. Can she seriously be that blind? He'd thought he'd been so obvious over the years. Lilly had known. Duncan had known.

Had her statement been a simple observation of the way she perceived his feelings? Or is it something that’s bothered her over the years? Like it had bothered him? He knows he won’t be getting any answers right now – this is probably the worst time to get into that particular discussion.

"Veronica? Let's go to sleep, okay?" he asks quietly.

She looks at him as if he’s crazy.

"We can argue in the morning, if you're still in the mood, but let's drop it for tonight."

"Don't patronize me, Logan!"

"I'm not trying to. What can I do to fix this? To make it better?"

"I don't know! I'm just So. Damn. Frustrated. right now."

"About our situation or Duncan? Or is it me?"

"All of it!"

Logan rises and goes to her, holding out his arms. "Come here," he says in a gentle voice.

Veronica looks at him incredulously. "Seriously, Logan? This whole thing started over your constant need for physical contact, and you think the solution is try to touch me?"

Logan throws up his hands in resignation. "I give up!" he says spinning on his heel and returning to bed. "I apologize that my so-called need for physical contact is such a burden to you. And I'm sorry that I'm not fluent in mixed fucking signals."

He drops down on the bed, crossing his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. "You know, all I've done since this entire thing started is to try to be there for you. I don't know what else you want from me! I can't take back the past year, and I can't take back the past four years."

He rolls to his side, facing away from her side of the bed. "Good night, Veronica."

Veronica hesitates for a second, and then walks over and snatches up her pillow before climbing in bed next to Duncan.

Logan sighs, and rolls back over to face her. "Veronica...you don't have to. If you don't want to sleep with me, you take this bed, and I'll sleep with Duncan."

In response, Veronica rolls over to face away from him.

Logan sighs, runs a hand through his hair, and then turns off the lights. "I'm here if you need me," he reminds her.

Several minutes pass in silence before he speaks again.

"He doesn't understand you, Veronica, and if you were to get back together, he’d try to guide you back into the Snow White mold. Personally, I think that would be a complete shame, because the person you are now is amazing."

Veronica answers without facing him. "Like you're the poster child for healthy relationships, Logan? You would have done anything to make Lilly love you."

_And here I am, about to fall right back into the same stupid pattern._

 

 

 

Flashback - December, 2000  
Logan

 

_Logan curls up with Lilly on the couch watching The Matrix on DVD. He's somewhat sleepy after their earlier makeout session. Lilly can be very...enthusiastic. He leans over now, kissing her cheek, and her perfume engulfs him. It's sexy. Almost too sexy. Something more suited to a femme fatale than a thirteen year-old girl. But it's Lilly. Sexy is kind of her thing._

_"It's always perfect when I'm with you. I could stay like this forever." he tells her. They've been together for over four months now._

_Lilly rolls her eyes. "Will you cool it, Romeo?"_

_"What?"_

_"Pretending that this is some grand love story. Quit trying to make this something it isn't. We're too young for that crap."_

_Logan pulls back. "If it isn't a grand love story, what is it? Why are you with me?"_

_"For the same reason you're with me - Veronica."_

_Logan freezes, schooling his features into nonchalance. "What does Veronica have to do with anything?"_

_Lilly sighs. "You want to discuss this now?"_

_"Yes," Logan said, standing up and pausing the movie._

_"My room looks out over the pool, you know?"_

_"So?"_

_"So I stood at my window that night - Veronica's birthday - and watched you two by the pool. The accidental hand brushes. The way you looked at her. Anybody with eyes could see that you wanted her."_

_Logan flinches at the reminder. "And what? You wanted me for yourself?"_

_"No. I couldn't allow you to date Veronica and break her heart."_

_"But—" Logan starts._

_"I was on my way outside to put a stop to it. To pull you aside and threaten you to stay away from her."_

_Logan stares at her, disbelieving._

_"Don't look at me like that," Lilly says, "You were thinking the same thing. You knew you weren't right for Veronica."_

_"But—"_

_"Did you think I was stupid? That I would believe that after all the times you blew me off, you suddenly wanted to kiss me. I knew exactly what you were doing."_

_"And you let me?"_

_"Um...duh."_

_"Why did you kiss me back?"_

_"Because you were surprisingly good at it." Lilly winks._

_"But, why weren't you…angry?"_

_"Why would I be? It fit my agenda. I was actually surprised that you ended up being so selfless. I was expecting a fight. Instead, I got a decent boyfriend out of the deal."_

_"A decent boyfriend?"_

_"The best one, so far." she flashes him a grin._

_"Lilly," he sighs. "You're the only one I want to be with."_

_"Don't lie, Logan. You may want me more, but a part of you will always want Veronica, too. I see it every time you're around her. Of course, I know what to look for."_

_" Lil—"_

_"Don't worry, I'm not mad." she holds a hand up to halt his protests. "Well...If it was any other girl, I'd be mad, but how could I blame you for having feelings for Veronica? She's the best."_

_"So you don't think I'm good enough for her?" Logan asks, dejectedly. He's not really surprised. When has he ever been deserving of good things? "Not that I have any regrets about ending up with you," he hurries to add._

_Lilly reaches for Logan's hands, looking up into his eyes. "It wasn't a question of being good enough. I'm super protective of her. She's rainbows, and puppies and ponies. She wasn't ready for a cynical boyfriend like you, although lately I've been seriously reevaluating that assessment."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because you're not the bad boy you pretend to be - you and your 'True Love Forever' crap. You're more like a needy little girl than I ever expected, and she's tougher than I realized."_

_"Lil," he says, sitting and kissing her forehead. "It may have started out that way, but my feelings are real. All I want is to be with you. You're everything to me."_

_Lilly sighs, "I stayed together with you because you're the best I've ever found, and I really do care about you, but I CAN'T BE your everything. That scares me, Logan."_

_"Why?"_

_"I can't be responsible for your ups and downs. I'm not looking for a forever thing. Just a 'for now' thing." Lilly gives him a deep kiss and rises to leave._

_"Wait. Are we okay?" Logan asks._

_"For now," she smiles, turning to leave._

_"You wait, Lilly Kane," he calls out. "I WILL make you fall in love with me. Someday. Whatever it takes."_

_"Perhaps," she grins and blows a kiss over her shoulder._

_Logan watches her go. It would become his worst habit over the next few years._

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Lilly loved Logan.

She'd told him so, and she'd meant it. No one had ever truly or completely held Lilly's heart, but he feels honored knowing that he had come the closest. He can admit now that Lilly was never meant to be shackled down. She hadn't been strong enough to bear the weight of his neediness.

Lilly eventually changed her mind about Veronica. During the last year of her life, she'd actively prodded and pushed Logan to pursue Veronica. She'd always claimed he and Veronica would balance each other perfectly, but he suspects it was also due to Lilly hating Veronica being with Duncan. It didn't matter. Every time the subject came up - regardless of whether they were 'off' or 'on' he’d refused to even discuss the subject, telling her she was the only girl for him.

Only one hour has passed, but he’s already painfully missing having Veronica curled up against him. He only has himself to blame for driving her away. How could he act so jealous of a guy in a catatonic state? Not that he hadn't meant what he'd said. The girl who dated Duncan _had_ been like a Pod Veronica, but it hadn't been his place to tell her that. And yelling at her was not the best way to win her over. Duncan would never raise his voice to her. He was always the perfect gentleman.

Logan Echolls, screw-up as usual.

She’s been whimpering in her sleep for the past ten or fifteen minutes, and it’s killing him. He wants to go to her and make it all better, but there’s no more room in that bed. He wants to pick her up and bring her back to bed with him, but she'd made her decision, and would be furious if she woke up in bed beside him.

But he misses her.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Four**  
**Neverland**

 

_"I thought I'd find you here, Donut."_

_Duncan looks up into his sister's green eyes. "Lil...How?"_

_"What? Did you think death would stop me from looking after my little brother? I made a promise to always protect you."_

_"I've missed you so much!" Duncan cries, twisting in his seat to wrap his arms around his dead sister._

_Lilly ruffles his hair affectionately. "Let's walk down to the beach."_

_Duncan exits and locks his SUV, pocketing the keys. Lilly reaches out her right hand, and Duncan takes it with his left._

_"Just like when we were little," he muses aloud. "My big sister, always taking care of me. Making sure I didn't get lost."_

_Lilly smiles affectionately and swings their linked hands._

_"I haven't been doing my job lately," she says sadly. "You've never been more lost."_

_"Why do you say that?"_

_"You're parked outside of Veronica's apartment, even though you haven't had a decent conversation with her in over a year."_

_"Oh, does Veronica live here now?" Duncan asks, sheepishly._

_"You know full well that Veronica lives here, Duncan Kane."_

_They're on the beach now, and Duncan is chasing his big sister, who twists and turns out of his grasp, laughing and teasing. They used to play like this when they were children. Eventually, they fall exhaustedly on the beach._

_"Why are you here, Lil?"_

_"You've had a breakdown."_

_"That's crazy, I'm perfectly fine. Why would you say that?"_

_"You're not fine. Your life is a house of cards, constructed completely upon avoidance." Lilly grasps his chin to force him to pay attention. "You're in some kind of catatonic state right now."_

_"That doesn't even make sense, Lilly."_

_"That's because you're avoiding right now."_

_"So what, exactly, am I avoiding?"_

_"Well to start with…" She counts off one finger. "…you like to pretend that Veronica isn't your sister."_

_"Lilly, don't' say that."_

_"I'm your sister. Would you ever treat me the way you treat Veronica?"_

_"I don't treat Veronica any way."_

_"Right. You avoid her. You pretend that you're not in love with her. You also avoid the fact that you had sex with her."_

_"Oh God!" Duncan runs a hand over his face. "I can't think about that."_

_"Like I said, house of cards." Lilly smiles sadly. "You're so afraid of experiencing discomfort, that you fabricate your reality around you."_

_"What do you want from me, Lil?" Duncan's eyes are tortured._

_"I want you to fucking  experience  discomfort." Lilly answers. "I want you to  feel  the pain of being in love with your own sister. I want you to feel the guilt for sleeping with her at the party. When you knew she was related and she didn't. I want you to really feel the pain, and then let her go."_

_" Why do you want me to hurt that way?"_

_" You're  supposed  to hurt that way. Feel the pain. Breathe it in. Let it go. Bottling it all up is what makes people snap," Lilly grins. "There's beauty in the breakdown, you know."_

_" I'm pretty sure that's from a song, Lilly."_

_" Doesn't make it less true."_

_" I also want you to feel ashamed for failing your best friend."_

_"Wait! What have I done to Logan?"_

_"You've stood idly by." Lilly answers in a very 'Veronica' voice. "While he slips further and further to the dark side."_

_"What am I supposed to do?" Duncan asks, frustrated. "You know how Logan gets! I'm not responsible for his actions."_

_Lilly laughs. "Logan loves you. You're the closest thing to family he has. He wants you to  make  him stop. You're supposed to be the White Knight. You're supposed to care enough about your best friend to call him on his bullshit - especially when Veronica is the victim."_

_"Lilly, why aren't you holding him responsible?"_

_"Oh, I do, but you could have stopped him. You were the only one who could have. Do you think that Logan couldn't lead the school? They all worship him - for the wrong reasons. They would listen to him. But he's always pushing you forward. He doesn't believe in himself, but he believes in your goodness. He  wants  you to step up and put him in his place."_

_"He wants to act like an ass and have no consequences."_

_"His jackass behavior is a persona. He wants to be himself again, but he doesn't remember how."_

_"So…what? I'm supposed to 'be the change I want to see in the world' or something?" Duncan asks sarcastically._

_"No, you need to take him on when he's acting out. Get in his face. He'll back down. Not because he's afraid of you, but because he respects you."_

_Duncan shifts, laying his head on his big sister's lap. Her hand began absently rubbing his head, as she has always done when he needed comforting._

_"So once I've done all of this 'feeling and experiencing', everything is going to magically get better?"_

_"Of course not." Lilly tells him. "But it's necessary for your sanity. You've been on the verge of a breakdown for a long time Duncan, due to this world of lies you've constructed all around you."_

_"If only you were still alive…"_

_"See? That right there." Lilly holds up a hand. "I'm dead. I'll never come back to life. Wishing like that is just another way of living in a fantasy world, and not facing the truth. You can't bring me back. But you can heal your relationships with Logan and Veronica."_

_"How?"_

_"By closing the circle."_

_"Closing the circle? Sounds like some kind of crazy occult stuff. When do you become all woo woo Lilly?"_

_" I could have said triangle, but that has negative connotations. Accurate, but negative. And…Hello? I'm a ghost. Hardly the poster child for sane and rational."_

_"Huh?"_

_"Never mind. What I mean is: you, Logan and Veronica. Apart, all three of you are broken, but together, each of you brings something to the table that the others need."_

_"Logan won't allow me to bring Veronica back."_

_"Did you hear a thing I just said?" She shakes her head in exasperation. "Take him on! He needs this as much as you do."_

_"Do you miss him a lot?"_

_"Who, Logan?" Lilly asks. "Desperately. But he has a new love coming his way, and it's going to be epic."_

_His sister's smile is one of excitement and anticipation._

_"And you're okay with that? With being replaced in his heart?"_

_"I'll always have a small place in his heart. But I was never what he needed. I wasn't capable of accepting all of the love flowing from that huge huge heart of his. I wasn't interested in fidelity. Or romance. Logan breathes that stuff like air."_

_"So you're not jealous?"_

_"His new love has been battered and bruised by life. She needs all of those qualities that were way too much for me to handle - love, tenderness, romance. She'll be able to take everything he has to give. The real question lies in whether she'll be able to give anything in return."_

_"So if this girl is such a taker, shouldn't we be trying to put a stop to this?" Duncan asks. The Lilly he knows and loves would have wanted nothing more than for Logan to pine after her forever._

_"No." Lilly answers simply. "They need each other."_

_"If you say so. Can I ask you a question Lilly?"_

_"Go for it."_

_"Why were you always against me and Veronica? Back before we knew she was related."_

_"I wanted better for both of you. Together, you could never surpass mundane. You were too much alike. You didn't challenge her, and she didn't challenge you. You both need people who can push you outside of your comfort zones."_

_"She made me want to be better."_

_"She made you want to be boring," Lilly rolls her eyes._

_"Is that my girl I see?" A voice rings out nearby. Duncan looks up and sees Logan striding towards them on the beach. He feels like he hasn't seen him in ages, although it had to have been only yesterday when they'd hung out after school._

_"Hey baby." Logan sits, giving Lilly a chaste kiss on the lips. "I've missed you."_

_"Scoot over Duncan." Logan says and Duncan slides down making room for Logan's head on Lilly's lap. His sister's hand begins to smooth and twist in Logan's hair, offering him the same comfort as she had offered Duncan earlier._

_Lilly looks at Logan with love and longing._

_"Still love me, Lil?" Logan looks up at her hopefully._

_"Always." She answers. "But your true love will find you soon."_

_"True Love?" Logan covers his mouth in faux shock. "Is that romantic talk coming from the one and only I-don't-do-romance Lilly Kane?"_

_"I'm serious, Logan."_

_"Oh my God! Lilly?" Another voice calls._

_Duncan looks up and sees his once love -Ex-Girlfriend-Sister running towards them. She drops to her knees and throws her arms around Lilly's neck._

_"Oh Lilly!" she cries._

_"I've missed you most of all Scarecrow." Lilly says, and Veronica laughs._

_"Duncan, come sit up here so Veronica has room."_

_Duncan obediently abandons his place coming to sit on Lilly's left. Veronica lays her head on Lilly's lap next to Logan's. Veronica's feet point to the South, Logan's, to the North. Lilly's hands are in their hair, soothing, comforting._

_"I was telling Logan that his true love is on the way." Lilly tells Veronica. "But he isn't the only one."_

_"If you're insinuating that true love is waiting for me, forget it." Veronica says. "I don't believe in love anymore."_

_Duncan feels a twinge of guilt for being the person who broke Veronica's heart._

_Lilly laughs. "Love is coming for you Veronica Mars, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. In fact, you may find it right under your nose."_

_"Then it'll be sure to make me sneeze." Veronica quips._

_"So it's somebody...new?" Duncan asks._

_"It's not you, Duncan." Lilly answers. "Does that hurt?"_

_"Yeah…"_

_"Good.  Feel  it. And move on. But don't worry. Even you will find a new love eventually. If you'll let it in."_

_Duncan thinks about the girls at school, wondering whom Lilly has in mind. "Any chance you know who?"_

_"Maybe...but allow a ghost her cryptic statements. They're all I have left."_

_Lilly's fingers are doing intricate things in Logan's and Veronica's hair, and Duncan realizes she's weaving Veronica's short blonde hair into Logan's shorter brown hair –tiny multi-colored knots and braids. Duncan laughs. They're not going to be too happy when they try to sit up._

_"I love all three of you." Lilly tells them. "But my spirit can't rest until you three love each other again. You need to close the circle."_

_"Wait Lilly." Veronica starts. "Are you saying that the little vendetta between Logan and I has caused you to become a ghost, roaming the earth?"_

_"Of course not! I was just being dramatic, silly! Call it a little ghostly humor," Lilly laughs. "But I stand by what I said. It's time to close the circle. Everybody hold hands."_

_Duncan snorts at the idea of Veronica and Logan holding hands. They hate each other. So he is surprised when their hands find each other's without looking and slide into place as if it were a much-repeated habit._

_Lilly entwines Duncan's fingers with the spares._

_"Now this is a circle." Lilly declares. "Feel how strong you are together?"_

_Duncan feels a ripple of energy run through him. "What is it?"_

_"Love energy." Lilly answers. "Mine for each of you; yours for each other. You make each other stronger."_

_"I feel like Aquarius should be playing right now," Logan says. Duncan raises an eyebrow. "What? It's a song. From the sixties or something. Peace, Love, and Psychedelic drugs."_

_Duncan is more contented than he's been since before breaking up with Veronica. He thinks he may have napped, but now he's awake. Ripples of energy still run from Veronica's hand into his, and from his into Logan's._

_Lilly smiles as he sits up._

_"How are you feeling?"_

_"Stronger. Healthier."_

_"Good. Then you're ready."_

_Duncan glances down at Lilly's lap. Veronica and Logan are sleeping. Miniature roses and wildflowers grow from their entwined hair. Vines curl around their entwined hands. He turns to Lilly and raises an eyebrow. "What's the symbolism of that supposed to mean?"_

_"Why does everything have to be about symbolism with you guys?" she protests. "I just thought it would look pretty. They're both very pretty, aren't they?"_

_"Beautiful." Duncan agrees, love in his eyes._

_"Beautiful." His sister repeats wistfully. "Together."_

_"It's time, Duncan."_

_"Are you leaving me?"_

_"In a moment." She points._

_Standing above Duncan is a body. Its teeth are rotting and its abdomen is covered in stab wounds. Duncan closes his eyes again. He doesn't need to see this._

_You're doing it again, Donut." Lilly says. "You're avoiding the discomfort."_

_"I can't. It's too grotesque."_

_"Open your eyes and face it Duncan."_

_Duncan opens his eyes. "Why?"_

_"You need to face what you've done before you can move on."_

_Duncan stares at the grotesque body for a long time. Suddenly, it's no longer night; it's day. It's no longer the beach, it's Community Park and he's in Logan's X-Terra. Logan looks as if he's seen a ghost. He throws his truck in park and jumps out, not even bothering to close the door. Duncan has no idea what is going on, but he reaches to take the keys of out the ignition, and pulls the driver door closed before climbing out to follow._

_Logan, heading towards the maintenance building, stops at the gate, apparently paralyzed with shock. As Duncan approaches behind him, he hears him say. "You like to rape little girls you sick fuck?"_

_Rape? Who is being raped? Duncan picks up his pace, and steps behind Logan. Over his shoulder, he sees Ciaran Fitzpatrick - he used to go to Neptune High - with his hands around...Oh my God...Veronica! My love. My ex-girlfriend. My sister. Oh my God!_

_Duncan feels strangely 'Out of Body'._

_He feels as if he's standing off to one side watching his body strangling Ciaran Fitzpatrick. Logan manages to pull him off Fitzpatrick, but as soon as he goes over to check on (my sister!) Veronica, Duncan's body has a knife in his right hand._

_One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten! Eleven!_

_Eleven! - Eleven knife plunges._

_Duncan's body pulls back and pushes up against a wall. He begins rocking._

_The lights fade and Duncan is once again on the beach at night next to his sister. Veronica and Logan still sleep contentedly, heads on her lap._

_"Why Lilly?" Duncan rasps. "Why did you show me that?"_

_"Because you were ready. They made you strong enough. How did it feel?"_

_"Sort of...out of body."_

_"Then you didn't do it right. You stabbed a man eleven times. How does that  feel ?"_

_Duncan runs to the surf and vomits. He remains there heaving, but only bile comes up._

_He returns to where his sister and friends wait on the beach. Lilly watches him compassionately and indicates for him to again take the hands of the sleeping Logan and Veronica. Healing energy pours into him, as Lilly pulls him to her shoulder, where he sobs uncontrollably for several minutes._

_"Shhh…" she says. "I know I wasn't the best sister, Duncan, but you need to know that I always loved you."_

_"I know."_

_"You're getting stronger."_

_"I'm not sure I am."_

_"You need to be stronger than ever now. They need you." Lilly points to Logan and Veronica._

_"Don't leave me, Lilly."_

_"It's time"_

_"Time for what?"_

_"It's time, Duncan."_


	16. Day Five - You Don't Have to Go It Alone

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

His cry shatters the silence of the morning. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"

Duncan's  face is ashen and his eyes wild , as he takes in his surroundings. He stands at the side of a red-covered double bed - obviously in a motel room.

In the other bed, Logan's eyelids fly open, staring at Duncan in shock. In his own bed, a small blonde, sleeping on her stomach, lifts up and rubs her eyes. He doesn’t need to see her face to know her identity.

_ Oh God no! Not again! Not again! Not again! _

"WHAT IS THIS?" Duncan demands again, pointing at the blonde.

Veronica -  _ of course it's Veronica  -  _ rolls over, staring at him. __  
  
Is that fear in her eyes?

Logan scrambles out of bed, in a tee shirt and plaid boxers. "Duncan…" he says, his face etched with worry. "Good to see you up, man." He holds Duncan's eyes while surreptitiously stretching out a hand to Veronica.

Veronica's eyes also remain on Duncan as she clutches the offered hand, stealthily slipping out of bed, and allowing Logan to pull her behind him and onto his bed. She sits back on her heels looking out from behind him.

"What?" Duncan demand. "Do you think I'm going to HURT her?"

Logan shakes his head to the negative, unconvincingly.

Duncan's heart pounds on the verge of exploding. He'd sworn he would never touch her again. How had this happened? There’d obviously been alcohol involved. Enough to make him black out. But how? He’d never been a heavy drinker. And shouldn't he at least remember the  _ beginning _ of the night? 

He probes at the corners of his memory, but the last thing he recalls is playing soccer. Everything after that…? Blackness.

"Hey...DK," Logan starts, stepping forward. "Are you okay?" He speaks in the soothing tones one would use to gentle a wild stallion.

"What do  you  think?" Duncan's eyes flood, despite himself. "This shouldn't have happened." His voice breaks. "I wasn't supposed to ever…"

"Ever what?" Logan asks.

"Ever touch her again." The first tear spills over, making a wet path down his cheek. "So what happened here? Some kind of threesome or something?" He pinches the webbed skin between his thumb and his index finger to alleviate the nausea threatening to overwhelm him.

Logan erupts with laughter. "Dude, um...you're a nice looking guy and everything, but…"

"You think this is  _ amusing _ ?"

All humor drains from Logan's eyes. "No man, not amusing. No threesomes happened here. Nothing happened at all. I swear."

Duncan lets out the breath he'd been holding. "So I didn't…? With Veronica?"

"No," Veronica shakes her head.

His shoulders relaxes. "No kissing? No making out?"

"Nothing."

"Even so...this can never happen again," he says, "Don't ever let me sleep in a bed with her again."

"Um...hello?" Veronica says, sarcastically, holding up a hand. "Sitting right here."

"I'm telling you, Duncan..." Logan flops down on his bed near Veronica. "Nothing at all happened."

"Never again." Duncan repeats.

Bruises cover the left side of Logan's face, although he doesn’t have a black eye. Had they gotten into a fight last night while they were drunk? Somehow, Duncan doubts it. He imagines he would be in a lot of pain right now, if they had.

He takes in his surroundings. The room is small. In addition to the two double beds, a long dresser with mirrors lines the wall under a mounted television. Some kind of coffee bar stands outside what he suspects is the bathroom. "What were we drinking last night? And where are we? The Camelot?"

A silent communication passes between Veronica and Logan. Worried.

"It's kind of a long story…" Logan trails off, glancing at Veronica again.

Duncan rubs at his forehead. How are Logan and Veronica even in the same room without World War 3 breaking out, let alone sitting together as some kind of united front?

"I'm hallucinating," Duncan concludes aloud, running a hand over his face. "Because this…" his fingers points to his friend and his ex, "...is not possible."

"It's...complicated, Duncan," Logan says, sharing another furtive glance with Veronica.

"Oh my God. You're sleeping together." His voice comes out almost growl-like. "How long has this been going on?" He sweeps a tear away with a sharp jab.

"Veronica and I are NOT having sex," Logan insists. "We need to explain."

Duncan exhales. 

For a second, he'd believed that something had happened between Logan and Veronica. He should have known better. Logan would never do that to him.

"Lemme use the bathroom first," Duncan says, "I need to go, and it feels like I haven't brushed my teeth in days."

"Your toothbrush is in the small blue grooming bag in the closet," Logan points to a door, avoiding Duncan's eyes.

The knife of fear in Duncan's gut twists painfully at the sight of a pile of bags and duffels in the closet.

"Luggage?" he demands, hair lifting on the nape of his neck. "We're not in Neptune anymore, are we?"

Logan bites his lower lip and shakes his head in the negative. Duncan feels another wave of nausea, and snatches up the bag with his grooming products. He rushes to bathroom before he ends up vomiting.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

As the door closes behind Duncan, Veronica lets out the breath she'd been holding and Logan runs a hand over his face nervously. From the bathroom comes the sound of retching, causing Veronica to shudder. Logan stares at the door anxiously, and Veronica stares at him.

"Logan…"

"Yeah…?"

She scoots forward, propping her chin on his shoulder from behind. "I'm sorry," she murmurs.

Logan shakes himself out of his trance, but still doesn’t look at her. "Me too."

She wraps her arms around him, clasping her hands together and leaning the side of her head against his. Logan's hand automatically moves to cover her own, but then pulls back before he makes contact.

_ Damn. He's pouting. _

Veronica doesn’t want to give last night's argument a chance to fester. Her relationship with Logan has been going too well, and she won’t allow things to deteriorate now.

She opens her mouth to speak, but Duncan shrieks out from the bathroom. "What the hell am I wearing under my pajamas?"

Logan cringes. "It was necessary, dude! I swear!" he calls back.

"Fuck you, Logan."

Logan's eyes widen. "He's swearing," he speaks out of the side of his mouth. "He must be really pissed."

"You think?" Veronica asks. "Come on, we need to talk - but not here." She jumps out of bed, snagging Logan's hand and pulling him after her.

"We'll be back in a second, Duncan." she calls out, before dragging Logan out the door.

Veronica glances quickly to the left, and then drags Logan to the right and around the nearby corner to the back side of the motel. The shadows of tall oaks and cedars from the bordering wooded area fall upon the small rear parking lot. Further off, the faint hum of highway traffic breaks the silence.

Veronica releases Logan's hand and faces him. "So... _ that _  just happened."

"Yeah, that was kinda weird."

The morning air has a slight chill, and Veronica wishes she had thought to snag a blanket on the way out. Logan is still in his boxers, and she has even more exposed skin.

"I didn't bring you out here to discuss Duncan. Let me start over. I'm sorry, Logan. I was a...bitch last night."

Logan stares down at his bare feet. "It's okay. I should have kept my mouth shut."

"No, I don't want to brush this off. Let's talk about it."

Logan eyes her warily. "Talking didn't go so well last night."

"Okay, I'll talk. You listen."

Behind Logan, a knee-high concrete wall surrounds an ornamental bed planted with fragrant pink, blue and lavender flowers. He takes a seat, curling his fingers around the edge, and nods for Veronica to proceed. He seems to be humoring her, rather than fully engaged.

He’s not going to make this easy for her.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night," she begins.

"The nightmares?" Logan rubs the back of his neck. "I heard you, but what could I do? I was damned if I did. Damned if I didn't."

"No. I mean...yes, I had nightmares, but that's not what I meant. I laid awake most of the night thinking about what you said...and the look on your face."

"I didn't mean-"

"Will you let me speak, Logan?" Veronica snaps, cutting him off.

"If I must," The corner of his lip lifts fractionally.

"You said I was sending you mixed messages."

Logan shrugs and runs his index finger along a faded old scar on his knee. Veronica had noticed many such scars in the past few days. He must have been a clumsy child - although, in her experience, Logan has always exuded pure grace. Besides the shiny pink circle of a recent injury on his inner forearm, his other scars appear long healed.

She takes a seat on the wall next to him, examining her freshly painted red toenails. "You ever associate a physical reaction to a trigger?"

"You mean like the other night after the bar?"

Veronica rolls her eyes. "Um...kinda, but less sexual. My Grandma Mars, who died three years ago, used to make me these  amazing  cookies every time I visited her. To this day, a single bite of a Snickerdoodle creates this feeling of pure love in my heart."

"Okay…"

"I witnessed this accident a year ago - right after Lilly died. Some girl on a cell phone hit a man on a motorcycle. Dragged him down the road a bit…"

Logan shudders.

"Me and my dad ran to help the guy, but it was too late. Half of his face was gone. But the bike" She shivers at the memory. "...that stereo kept right on playing - as if nothing had happened. That song 'Low' by Cracker. _'_ _ Blue blue is the sun. Brown brown is the sky. Green green are her eyes'. _ To this day, I hear that song, and I instantly feel the need to vomit."

"I can imagine."

"The body is this mysterious machine. You've heard of Pavlov's dogs. The mere ringing of a bell would cause them to salivate. But anything can be a trigger: a scent, a sight, a taste, a sound, a song."

"Pears," Logan says.

"Pears?"

"I had a pear-related…incident…when I was nine. The slightest whiff of a pear makes me throw up." He still won’t meet Veronica's eyes, but he’s participating in the conversation. Progress.

"Okay, so you understand the concept, then."

"Sure, but not the connection," Logan answers.

"These past few days, I've been experiencing quite a bit of...anxiety… over Liam, and our situation. My chest tightens, and I become dizzy. I can't stop thinking about the worst-case scenarios, and blaming myself for bringing this down upon us."

"Veronica..."

Veronica rises to her feet, and walks a few steps away watching a flock of birds make patterns in the sky. After several heartbeats, she turns back to face him. "Logan, whenever you hug me, or touch me, or initiate some sort of physical contact with me..." deep breath. "...the tightness in my chest loosens. My posture relaxes. My heart stops racing. My  _ thoughts _  stop racing and I become more centered and at peace."

Logan's skeptical eyes rise to meet Veronica's. She wondered if he doubts his calming effect on her, or if he knows she'd neglected to mention the exception to the rule - those moments when she'd thought they were about to kiss, and her heartbeat had doubled. Regardless, most of the time, he gives her peace.

"It's so…addictive…to feel so calm and centered. I don't know if your signature scent is the trigger, or just you as a whole, but it's real. Remember...maybe three years ago, when you pulled me out of the way of that car?"

Logan nods, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Thirteen years old, and you still forgot to look both ways."

Veronica lets the dig pass. "Or maybe it was that time I suffered a leg cramp in the ocean and you came back for me...or the time when you punched Felix the PCHer for me. Somewhere along the way, my subconscious decided that you were my safety net."

"So this is a gratitude thing?" Logan asks.

"No clue. I only know that it makes me super irritable. Like last night."

"Why, because I'm a jackass?"

"Yeah, partially."

"What else?"

"Needing you," she mumbles and looks away. "I don't want to. You can't imagine what this past year was like for me."

Logan fiddles with the hem of his tee shirt, unable to meet her eyes again.

"I learned some harsh truths when Lilly died. I learned that the people you count on, will let you down and break your heart when you need them the most."

Logan takes a pained breath and slumps his shoulders, staring at the ground.

Veronica continues. "I conditioned myself to become hard. And strong. To need no one. To never rely on another person again."

She had been the injured party, so why does her stomach clench at the sight of Logan's guilt-stricken eyes? Why does she want to offer him comfort?

"This...dependence...thing I have with you...I hate it! I feel so weak. And ineffectual. I'm letting myself down. I should be able to deal with my issues on my own." Veronica's voice thickens with frustration.

"Sometimes you can't make it on your own."

"U2?"

"Yep." He jumps up and moves closer, looking into her eyes compassionately. "Veronica, there has  _ never _ been a girl as strong as you are. Sometimes, I am in complete awe of you. If you  _ can _  draw strength from another person, why  _ wouldn't _  you? I hardly see that as weakness."

How does Logan always manage to make her feel like some kind of super hero? At least since this thing started.

"I draw strength from you too,V," he continues. "If I didn't have this intense drive to keep you safe, I'd probably be at the bottom of a bottle right about now. So doesn't that make us even? You give to me? I give to you?" His hand moves up, and she can almost feel the heat of his touch against her cheek, before his arm falls limply to his side. He drops his eyes and steps back, lowering himself to the concrete wall again.

"Will you cut that out?" Veronica demands testily.

"What?"

"That. Being afraid to touch me."

"I don't want to upset you again...or make you  _ super irritable _ _._ "

"I won't get upset."

"I'm a little gun shy now, Veronica."

"Just touch me, dammit."

Logan arches an eyebrow, and the corner of his lip twitches. "Touch you where?"

"Wherever." Veronica says with exasperation.

"Can I touch your butt?" Now he’s smirking.

Veronica rolls her eyes. "Um...Let me think about that...Hell to the no."

"Can I touch your boobs?" A quick waggle of the eyebrows.

"Not a chance."

"Can I touch your—"

"Finish that sentence and you'll be eating your food through a straw for a month." Veronica laughs, happy the tension is gone.

"I was going to say cheek. Sheesh. Get your mind out of the gutter, Veronica." Logan says, now smiling.

"So...We're good, Logan?" Veronica asks hopefully.

"Are we?" he responds. "What if I were to...I don't know...lose control of my lips and ended up molesting your innocent forehead again? You going to freak out?"

Veronica smirks and steps between his parted knees. She braces either side of his face gently with her hands, leans forward, and kisses him softly on the forehead.

"Weird...I still  _ feel _  like a frog," Logan says, wrapping his arms around Veronica's back and pulling her close, burying his face in her neck.

Veronica sighs with relief and sinks into Logan. "I needed this," she exhales, and Logan squeezes tighter. "Thank you."

Veronica let out a squeak when Logan's arm slides behind her legs, scooping her up and depositing her sideways on his lap.

"And...we're right back where we were yesterday," Veronica says, shaking her head ruefully. "You don't do anything half way, do you, Logan?"

"What do you mean?" Logan's eyes crinkle with amusement. "This  is  halfway. Besides, you dragged me out here - you can keep my legs warm."

Butterflies flutter in Veronica's belly.

_ This is halfway... _

"We should be getting back."

"One sec," Logan says, holding Veronica still. "I need to apologize too. For the way I acted about Duncan. And for yelling." Flash of puppy dog eyes. "Guess I  _ did _  act like a jealous boyfriend."

"I thought about that last night, as well. You may have been right; I did change a bit when I dated Duncan."

"But I should have minded my own business." Logan glances behind him, plucking a pink flower and presenting it to Veronica. The flower is daisy-like. An Aster, perhaps? Veronica has always loved daisies.

"No, it wasn't your business, but I'll explain anyway." She brings the flower to her nose and inhales its scent. She aims a shy smile at Logan and continues. "When we hung out – as a group – we discussed celebrities often enough that I knew exactly what type of girl Duncan found attractive - and they were all super girly and feminine. The opposite of me."

"You were perfect the way you were."

"Thank you for the sentiment," she says, "I realize now that I should never have changed for a guy. I didn't know anything about dating back then, though. I just wanted Duncan to think I was pretty too."

"He'd have to be blind not to think you were pretty," Logan says plucking a second flower - blue this time - and tucking it above her ear. He leans back to study the effect. "It brings out your eyes," he concludes.

"Thank you." Veronica answers, cheeks turning a faint shade of pink.

"Now that he's awake…" Logan begins, avoiding Veronica's eyes. "Do you think...? Do you still love him?"

"He was my first love. I'll probably always love him."

"Oh…" Logan flicks at a wood chip that had escaped from the bed behind him.

"But I'm not 'in love' with him. I don't even like him much right now."

Logan's eyes snap back to Veronica's.

"I doubt I'll get past what happened. Not only did he refuse to tell me what I did wrong, he couldn't even be bothered to tell me we were over. He's spent almost a year pretending I didn't exist."

"So last night…?"

"You were right last night. I did look at Duncan when you asked me what had changed."

"Okay…" He takes a deep breath, but doesn’t continue.

"Not for the reason you think, Logan," Veronica says, "It's just…"

Logan's gaze is now direct, as he waits for her to continue.

Veronica sighs, and wraps a strand of hair around her index finger - a rare show of nerves. "It's just…you and I - this physical...thing...between us…" She gestures to her current position on his lap. "...Wouldn't make sense to anybody else. It barely makes sense to me."

"It makes perfect sense to me," Logan says, his face turning arrogant.

"Care to share?" Veronica asks.

"Easy. You want my bod. It's a popular sentiment." He laughs at her glare and gives her a loud smooch on the cheek, before setting her on the ground and standing. "Come on," he reaches for her hand. "We'd better get back and deal with the Duncan fallout."

He drops her hand outside of their door. Pausing. "You ready?" Logan asks.

"How about I wait out here. He's  your  best friend."

"Nope." He grins at her. "We're in this together." He turns the knob.

 

Duncan doesn’t glance up as the door opens. He sits at the foot of the bed staring intently at the TV.

Veronica hears her own voice on screen. _"_ _ I would like to tell my father one more time that I love him. _ _"_ The TV is replaying their video statement, and it’s at the end.

_ Oh hell. _

"Duncan?" Logan asks nervously. "How much of that did you see?"

"All of it." Duncan answers, turning to face Logan with terrified eyes. "Five days? I had another blackout?"

"Uh huh," Logan answers. "You've had blackouts before?"

"A few times, that I can remember." Duncan's shoulders slump and his eyes become glassy again. He stares at the wall, his Adam's apple bobbing. Finally, he inhales and turns back to Logan, his voice flat. "I need you to explain exactly what you meant by ' episode '. What did I do, and why is Liam Fitzpatrick after us?"

"Um…" Logan says, eyes flicking to Veronica for support.

"You stabbed Ciaran Fitzpatrick eleven times, and you've been catatonic ever since." Veronica blurts out.

Within moments, Duncan is in the bathroom retching again.

Logan rounds on Veronica, annoyed. "Way to rip off the band aid." He sighs, and hurries off to the bathroom, where Veronica can hear him speaking to Duncan in reassuring tones.


	17. Day Five - Veronica Mars, Fashion Icon?

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Veronica leans against the short dresser, taking in the two double beds. Both are identical, made up with crisp white sheets with red bed skirts and coverlets. Both are flanked by nightstands. Both have been slept in the previous evening by boys from her past.

The bed to the right represents nightmares and perching uncomfortably on the edge to avoid accidental contact with her ex-boyfriend.

The one to the left represents waking up cradled in warmth, cuddles and snuggles _-_ _is there a difference?_  - flirting and banter and massages.

Veronica needs a place to sit. Logically, she knows they’re identical. She isn’t feeling logical at the moment. She bounces onto Logan's bed. The bed she'd almost climbed into a hundred times the previous night. She'd missed having Logan's arms around her, his warmth, his soft breath on her neck.

_Can't forget that distinctly Logan scent._

Glancing up to ensure that Logan is still in the bathroom, Veronica drops back onto his pillow and surreptitiously buries her nose in it.

_What am I, eleven? Next, I'll stop washing my hand after he touches it._

She can’t believe she’s acting this way over Logan Echolls.

_Houston, we have a problem. A serious problem._

This can’t possibly go anywhere. Even assuming Peggy is right, and Logan does have feelings for her, how can they possibly make something work between them? There are too many obstacles, beginning with the fact that he had chosen Lilly over her. How can she ever be with him knowing that she’s his second choice? The backup plan. It’s not as if she can’t see what the attraction had been.

Lilly had been vivacious, and experienced, and even at thirteen, she'd had breasts to die for. What guy wouldn't want her? But twelve-year-old Veronica had been on the brink of giving Logan her heart, and to this day, his rejection still stings.

Lilly’s memory isn’t their only obstacle, though. Duncan had just killed a man for putting his hands on Veronica. She can’t even consider starting a relationship – with Logan or anyone else – until she’s certain that Duncan’s playing with a full deck. She doesn’t want anybody else to be injured – or worse – over her.

Finally, there’s the fact that they’re all each other have. The worst possible thing they could do would be to become involved, and then break-up. They need each other way too much to risk everything on an attraction.

Having convinced herself that she and Logan will never – can never – happen, Veronica reaches for the remote, and turns up the sound.

Logan returns while they’re finishing-up the financial news, and flops into bed beside her.

"Duncan is really messed up over this," he says, "He's taking a long shower to wash off four days of dirt. Guess he doesn't trust my scrubbing skills."

Veronica looks pointedly at the coffee maker, and at Logan, and at the coffeemaker, and at Logan...until he gets the hint and grins.

"Is there something you'd like to ask me, dear?" he asks.

"No darling," Veronica answers,, "But if you were to bring me a cup of coffee, I wouldn't...like...splash it in your face or anything."

"How positively civil of you, Sweetpea," Logan says, "I think I need to witness this courtesy that you speak of for myself, in order to believe it. Let me go make you some coffee."

Veronica's face splits into a grin. "Keep that up, and I may not file for divorce right away."

Several minutes later, Logan returns, handing her a mug, and then carefully lowers himself to the bed to avoid spilling his own coffee.

"So...whadya think? Should we have Dr. Tony check out DK?" Logan asks.

"Definitely, but we probably won't be able to reach him until 9:00 AM."

"Okay, so we'll call him around 9:00 and see if he can get Duncan in."

 

**CNOW - STYLE WATCH**

[Style Watch Logo fades to studio shot of news anchor]

**ANCHOR:**   The Neptune Three - outlaws, fugitives, and now  style icons ? Our own Penny Bree tells us how these kids from Southern California are changing the fashion landscape.

**[Cuts to Penny Bree in studio]**

**BREE:**  Thanks, Anita.

[Cuts to split screen - The left side is studio shot of Penny Bree. The right side displays a recent photo of Veronica. Other than the shot of Logan carrying her, this is the most frequently aired photo of Veronica. Her hair is choppy and flippy. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and she wears a denim mini with black boots and a pink tee shirt.]

**BREE:**   If you haven't heard about The Neptune Three, you've been living under a rock. Neptune Fever has swept the country with some unusual repercussions.

First, we go to celebrity stylist François Lefevre of the world-famous Lefevre Salon in Beverly Hills. Hello, François.

[The right side of the split screen cuts to shot of François Lefevre sitting in a salon chair.]

**LEFEVRE:**  Hello, Penny. It's great to talk with you again.

**BREE:**   Can you tell us what's trending in hair these days.

**LEFEVRE:** Absolutely. It's 'The Veronica'. This short layered cut is on fire in salons across the nation.

[The left side of the split screen displays the Veronica photo again.]

 

"This is a joke, right?" Veronica asked.

"Don't think so," Logan answers, eyeing Veronica's current bed head.

 

**BREE:**  Just how popular is 'The Veronica'?

**LEFEVRE:**   How popular?  (Motions over two clients with hair like Veronica's)  Over  **half**  of our clients this week have requested 'The Veronica' cut. Paris is wearing it. Nicole is wearing it. Mandy Moore and Lisa Loper are wearing it. Even Trina Echolls is newly shorn to resemble her brother's...friend.

  
Logan mumbles something under his breath, and Veronica thinks she catches the words 'bitch' and 'whore'.

"Trina?" Veronica asks, stunned at his vitriol.

"Her too...occasionally." He doesn’t elaborate further.

 

[Left side of the split screen cuts to Penny Bree]

**BREE:**  And how about color? Are your clients requesting 'Veronica Blonde'?

**LEFEVRE:**  It's around fifty/fifty.

**BREE:**  How much would 'The Veronica' run in your salon?

**LEFEVRE:**  Cut and color would run around $650. The cut alone would be $400.

 

Veronica nearly spits out her coffee. "Six hundred and fifty dollars?" she says, incredulously. "I literally, chopped off a ponytail, and it didn't cost me a cent."

"Would you believe that my mom has been to a stylist in New York who charges almost $900?"

"Does that haircut come with gold-plating?"

Logan grins. "I'll never forget the first time I saw you with your short hair. You'll have to tell me why you did that someday."

_Sure. I'll tell you that. When hell freezes over._

"I remember your insults."

"What? About your hair?" Logan asks.

"Obviously."

"You believed me?"

"Yes."

"I lied."

"Shocking."

Logan's gaze is unfocused and he wears a slight smile. "That was the day I knew the real Veronica was back. The hair. The clothes. In fact, it was as if the way you looked finally matched your true self. That was the first time I—" Logan cuts himself off and glances away looking just slightly embarrassed.

His words set off a flutter in Veronica's heart, and she hates that his opinion means so much to her.  _Didn't we just discuss this with ourselves, Veronica? Logan and Veronica can never be._

She shifts her focus back to the television where François Lefevre is rattling off details about the haircut.

 

**BREE:**  François   I'd like to thank you once again for talking to us today.

**LEFEVRE:**  Any time, Penny.

**BREE:**   Next up, we go to Deirdre Malone in New York City

 

[Cuts to shot of Deidre Malone in a shoe store standing with a dark haired woman in her mid-twenties.]

**MALONE:**  Thanks, Penny. I'm here in the John Fluevog - Manhattan store in Nolita, talking with store manager, Petra Kokinos.

[Petra Kokinos gives a shy wave to the camera.]

**MALONE:**  Petra, tell us how Neptune Fever has affected your store.

**KOKINOS:**  Well, in one of the photos of Veronica Mars, she's wearing our Fluevog Bondgirl boot.

[Screen splits. Malone and Kokinos display on the left side. Veronica's crossed-arms picture from earlier displays on the right.]

**MALONE:**  What can you tell us about these boots?

**KOKINOS:** (holding up a single black boot) Well , they're full-grain leather with beige contrast stitching. They have two mini-buckles at the top, and an engineer style buckles on the outside for fit. They retail for around $325.

 

"Or $12 in the thrift store," Veronica mutters. "I can't believe they're analyzing my clothing."

Logan looks at her, sympathetically. "Welcome to my world."

"What's next? They're going to track down my jean skirt at Target?"

 

**MALONE:**  And after Veronica's photo went public?

**KOKINOS:**  After the boots were identified, every Fluevog store in the U.S. sold out in of the Bondgirl in one day, as well as most of our Canadian stores. They're backordered until the middle of next month. I've had to turn away over thirty customers just today, looking for the Bondgirl, and virtually every phone call is to ask if we have it in stock.

**MALONE:**   Has your store ever experienced anything like this before?

**KOKINOS:**  From what I understand, there was a rush when Madonna wore a pair of Fluevog platforms in her Truth or Dare movie, but no. Never anything like this.

**MALONE:**   In your opinion, why does everybody want to be Veronica Mars?

**KOKINOS:**   Veronica Mars takes a stand. And she looks great doing it.

**MALONE:**  Great answer. Thank you Petra. Penny, back to you.

 

 

[Cuts to Penny Bree in the studio]

**BREE:**  Thanks Dierdre. Next up, we speak with legendary designer Romeo Scavo from his New York Fashion House. Hello Romeo.

[Screen splits displaying Penny Bree on the left side and Romeo Scavo – a dark haired/dark eyed man with a James Bond-like air to him on the right.]

**SCAVO:**  Hello Penny, how are you today.

**BREE:**  Lovely, thank you. Now I understand you are creating a Veronica Mars-inspired fashion line for Macys.

**SCAVO:**  That is correct.

**BREE:**  How would you describe Veronica's style?

[Scavo motions to an inspiration wall behind him. It appears to contain enlarged copies of virtually every photo taken of Veronica since her haircut and makeover.]

**SCAVO:**  I made a special trip to Neptune, California, yesterday. As my inspiration, I wanted to learn everything I could about Veronica Mars. While I was there, I spoke with many of her friends, classmates, and the clients she's solved cases for.

**BREE:**  And what did you learn?

**SCAVO:**   Like her mythological namesake, Veronica Mars is a warrior. A warrior whose weapon is her mind. This is a girl who rejects society's rules about class and gender, and this shows in her fashion sense.

[Scavo begins pointing to individual photos on his inspiration wall.]

**SCAVO:**  Veronica Mars is denim, and corduroy, canvas and leather. In almost every ensemble, Veronica pairs elements of femininity and masculinity. She favors masculine footwear and boxy denim or military-inspired jackets, which she tends to wear with flirty skirts.  (Points to a clump of photos.)  When she wears feminine tops, like this pink off-the-shoulder shirt,  (points)  or this delicate floral button-up, she pairs them with plain boyfriend-style jeans. She includes a variety of plaids in her wardrobe, like this skirt, these pants, and this wool pea coat.  (points, points, and points).

**SCAVO:**  When it comes to accessories, Veronica gravitates toward leather pieces with bold, oversized hardware, like this double-width belt  (points) , or these three-buckle boots  (points) . Even her purses are far from delicate. She prefers large messenger bags in leather or canvas.

**BREE:**  What can you tell us about your new line?

**SCAVO:**   Well, I'm calling it MARS by Scavo, and it will be exclusive to Macys. It should be in stores in time for the holiday season.

 

"MARS, by Scavo," Logan says, in a haughty voice. "She gets a freaking clothing line." He shakes his head in amusement.

"Kill me now, and put me out of my misery," Veronica moans.

 

**BREE:**  How about the boys? Are you planning any lines around Logan Echolls or Duncan Kane?

**SCAVO:** (laughs gently)  No, I won't be, although I would love to style them.

**BREE:**   If the Neptune Three were watching at this moment, what fashion advice would you offer them?

**SCAVO:**  For Veronica Mars? Don't change anything, darling. Your instincts are fabulous. As for Duncan Kane…he sticks with the classics. I haven't seen him wear anything offensive in any of his photos, but he hasn't wowed me, either. He could stand to liven things up a bit. Maybe add some color other than blue.

**BREE:**  And Logan Echolls?

**SCAVO:** (shaking his head with a sad smile).  Sometimes he has great instincts, other times…well…  (Shakes his head again).  The first bit of advice I would give him would be to incinerate the orange pants. Seriously, put them out of their misery! My second piece of advice would be to concentrate on fit. He does well with his jeans, but his other pants all appear to be a size too big, while some of his shirts appear to be too short. He has excellent taste in sweaters and jackets, however.

**BREE:**  Thank you for speaking with us today, Romeo.

**SCAVO:**  Any time, Penny.

 

Veronica glances at Logan who’s staring at the TV with an amused grin.

"Wow," he says, shaking his head. "I'm a fashion  _don't_ _?_ "

"Well, in your defense, you do wear your jeans well. And since you packed mostly jeans…"

"You like me in my jeans?"

"You never stop fishing for complements, do you?" Veronica asks.

"Only from you. Every other girl gives me my due validation." Logan pouts.

Veronica laughs softly. "You look good in your jeans," she says, patting Logan on the shoulder.

 

[Split screen becomes full screen showing Penny Bree in studio]

**BREE:**   Now it's not only high-end fashion experiencing the Neptune effect. Shop owners across the country report that Neptune related merchandise is flying off the shelves. Next, we go to DeeAnn Donaldson in Los Angeles.

[Cuts to shot of DeeAnn Donaldson standing with a dark haired and hawk-nosed man in his mid-thirties.]

**DONALDSON:**  Thanks, Penny. I'm here at 'Cover Yourself', talking with the owner Agostino Nieri. Mr. Nieri, tell us about 'Cover Yourself'.

**NIERI:**  Hello, DeeAnn. Cover Yourself is a chain of tee shirt shops based here in Los Angeles, with stores in twelve states in the West and the South.

**DONALDSON:**  How has your business been affected by the Neptune Three?

**NIERI:**   (excited and slightly hyper)  Our line of Neptune merchandise has become instant best-sellers.

**DONALDSON:**   What are your top selling items?

**NIERI:** (leading Donaldson to a wall of tee shirts.)  Our top seller is the Neptune Three tee shirt.   (The shirt he points to is screen printed with the same crossed-arms photo of Veronica with Logan and Duncan Photoshopped into the background)   After that,  o ur 'Team Logan' and 'Team Duncan' shirts are our hottest sellers . (Each shirt has a screen-printed photo of the requisite boy)

**DONALDSON:**   What team is America on?

**NIERI:**  Well, we're currently selling three 'Team Logan' shirts for every one 'Team Duncan'.

 

"Obviously." Logan says.

"Aren't we all on the same team?" Veronica asks.

Logan smirks at her. "Right…Play dumb, Veronica."

Veronica glares at him.

 

**DONALDSON:**  What else is selling well?

**NIERI:**  Well, after those, our top seller is the 'Mars Investigations' shirt.  (The shirt he points to has the Mars Investigations logo)  We've also sold a lot of 'Logan's Run' and 'Run Logan Run', 'America Runs With Duncan', 'Pick Me, Veronica' and... surprisingly...'Fleece Me, Sheriff Lamb'.

**DONALDSON:**  Are you only selling Neptune tee shirts?

**NIERI:**  No. Our four most popular designs - The Neptune Three, Team Logan, Team Duncan and Mars Investigations also come in mouse pads and tote bags. We have The Neptune Three poster,  (he sweeps his arm towards a poster).  Our 'Team Logan'/'Team Duncan' bracelets are strong sellers, and surprisingly, pukka shell necklaces are selling out all over the country.

**DONALDSON:**  Because Logan Echolls wears one in all of his photos?

**NIERI:**   Right, they're mostly purchased by girls as gifts for their boyfriends.   We've sold out of the 'Team Logan' women's panty, but we still have some Team Duncan in stock . (He points to a pair of white underwear with black lettering.)

 

Veronica and Logan stare at each other with dropped jaws for several moments before Logan speaks.

"I'm used to getting into girls' panties, but…"

"You couldn't resist going for the easy joke, could you?" Veronica says, rolling her eyes.

 

**DONALDSON:**  I'd like to thank you for talking to me, today, Mr. Nieri.

**NIERI:**  Any time, Miss Donaldson. Thanks for stopping by. Your viewers are welcome to stop in to any of our Cover Yourself locations. Tell us you saw us on TV, and save 10% on your Neptune purchases.

[Cuts to Penny Bree in the studio]

**BREE:**  Thanks DeeAnn. Next up, our own Darren Spencer went to the streets earlier to find out how  you  feel about The Neptune Three.

[Cut to Darren Spencer standing on a busy street corner]

**SPENCER:**  Thanks Penny. By now, pretty much everyone has seen the video statement made by Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls. I took to the streets to find out how America feels about The Neptune Three.

 

Veronica looks at Logan. "We should just prepare ourselves now. This is going to be really awkward."

"How so?"

"Because all the media cares about is whether I'm dating one of you – with all of that Team Logan/Team Duncan stuff."

"The only thing awkward is that anybody would think that DK was any competition for me."

Veronica gapes at Logan in disbelief. "Oh,  _really_?" she asks. "Wow! So you're saying that in a contest for my affections, Duncan would be no competition? Cause I seem to remember you accusing me last night of wanting to reunite with him."

"And you reassured me that you wouldn't, but I didn't mean it like that. I meant that Duncan would be no competition for me for the affections of any  _ordinary_ girl. Obviously, you're a special case."

"Nice cover," Veronica says.

 

[Cut to a girl in her mid-teens. Her blond hair has been Veronica'd and she wears an outfit almost identical to Veronica's in the 'crossed-arms photo'.]

**GIRL:** (breathlessly)  Hi, I'm Jennie Lozada, and I am a huge fan of the The Neptune Three. When this story came out a few days ago, I instantly created a fan forum for them. Two days later, we already have over a thousand registered users. It's LoganVeronicaDuncan-at-yourforums-dot-com. I would love more people to join. I've also started a Neptune 3 group on MySpace with several hundred members.

**SPENCER:**  Why do you consider yourself a fan?

**JENNIE LOZADA:**  Well I've always been a fan of Logan Echolls. Like from all of those Echolls family photo shoots in People and stuff. My mom likes Aaron Echolls, but he's too old. Logan is gorgeous. So is Duncan Kane. And Veronica Mars? She is a rock star.

**SPENCER:**  Real quick, before I move on…Team Logan or Team Duncan?

**JENNIE LOZADA:**  Personally? I'm Team Logan, but we have plenty of Team Duncan-ers on our fan forum. It's a no hate place.

 

"Score one for me, from the Veronica wannabe," Logan says.

"That's the only Veronica you'll be scoring with," Veronica grumbles.

She doesn’t much like Logan's answering grin. It looks too much like a challenge.

 

[Cut to a short and burly woman in her mid-thirties with tanned skin. She has wavy, long strawberry blond hair and green eyes.]

**LADY:**  Yes, I saw the video statement. First thoughts? I think those kids are in real danger. I understand that Liam guy is still on the streets?  (She looks to Spencer for confirmation)  Yeah, he gave me the willies when he was threatening them in the video. I honestly, hope they get what they asked for. The chance to just live out their lives in peace.

**SPENCER:**  Team Logan or Team Duncan?

**LADY:**  Oh...Well I don't know much about Duncan Kane, except that he broods a lot and stares off into space. I'd have to say Team Logan. I liked what I saw of him on that video. I've always liked Aaron Echolls, but - dare I say? – I think his son has even more charisma. I guess that's what you get when you have two actor parents.

 

"Oh great. Like your head wasn't big enough?"

"For the first time ever, I wish that Daddy Dearest was in the country."

 

[Cut to two women in their early twenties. Both are of average height with shoulder length hair of light brown. One has blue eyes and the other brown]

**GIRL A:**  There was this…vibe…on that video between Logan and Veronica.

**GIRL B:**   Yeah, a flirty vibe.

**GIRL A:**  Like they were totally into each other, but wouldn't admit it.

**GIRL B:**  And you could tell that she bosses him around a lot and he likes it.

**GIRL A:**  Guys totally love a strong woman

**GIRL B:**  Totally.

**GIRL A:**  Remember that guy they go to school with? The big blond surfer dude?

**GIRL B:**  Yeah, his name was Dick something. I remember, because I was thinking: why would he go through life named Dick when he could be Rich or Richie or Rick or Ricky.

**GIRL A:**  Yeah, him. Remember how he said Logan and Veronica had mad U.S.T?

**GIRL B:**  Yeah, he was totally right, wasn't he? Guess he's not as dumb as he looks.

**SPENCER:**  So I take it you two are Team Logan?

**GIRL A:**  Totally!

**GIRL B:**   Team Logan all the way!

 

"They made a good point," Logan says.

"That Dick could have chosen four other nicknames?"

"Well, I was going to say that strong women are hot, but that too."

 

[Cut to a plump black lady in her forties with a chin-length bob and warm eyes]

**LADY:**  Yeah, I watched that video. That Logan Echolls…   (She shakes her head amusedly)

**SPENCER:**  What about him?

**LADY:**  You can just tell he's a charmer. He's the type of guy who will look you straight in the eyes, all innocently and say: 'Yes dear, I did act like a complete jerk, but you'll forgive me because I'm adorable, right?'

**SPENCER:**  So I take it you're not Team Logan.

**LADY:** (looks at him as if he's crazy) Of course , I'm Team Logan! You get your man, Veronica Mars! And then show him who's boss!

 

"Sounds pretty much like us." Logan gives Veronica a devilish grin that she can’t help but respond to.

"You think I forgave you because you're adorable?" Veronica snickers.

"Well, it certainly didn't hurt my chances. How could you possibly stay mad at the eye candy?"

"Yeah…I should probably get started on those 'showing-you-who's-boss' lessons."

"You get your man, Veronica Mars." Logan says, sassily.

 

[Cut to a short and lean woman in her early twenties with coppery skin and loose, wispy, long golden-brown hair and brown eyes.]

**WOMAN:** The statement video? Yeah .  How cool is Veronica Mars? If they ever clear this stuff up, she could have a future in stunt driving.

**SPENCER:**  Team Logan or Team Duncan?

**WOMAN:**  Doesn't Veronica already have an established relationship with Duncan Kane? They looked pretty happy in those old photos.

 

"Boo!" Logan says. He sets his empty coffee cup on the nightstand, and scoots down so that he’s laying down, his hands crossed under his head.

"You can't even let your BFF have a single point?"

"Team Duncan sucks!" he whines, laughing up at Veronica, who is still sitting to his right, her back propped against the headboard.

 

[Cut to a very tall and stocky woman with ivory skin, straight, long fiery red hair, and wide blue eyes.]

**LADY:**  I have to admit, I'm very disturbed by these reports. This young girl, Veronica Mars was brutally beaten, and nearly raped, and all anybody cares about is which rich boy she's dating?

**SPENCER:**  So I probably shouldn't ask you if you're Team Logan or Team Duncan?

**LADY:**   (scowling)  I'm 'Team-Veronica-takes-some-time-to-focus-on-her-emotional-and-physical-health-before-even-thinking-about-jumping-into-a-relationship. And after that? If she chooses to date, she should find somebody completely new. Face it, both of these boys have exhibited violence and instability in the past, and neither one of them have treated her with the respect she deserves. One hazed her repeatedly, and the other stood back and allowed it to happen. She can do much better.

 

"Damn!" Logan says, obviously upset. "What do I have to do to live that stuff down?"

"Since when do you care what people think about you?"

"I care what you think, and every time the past comes up, I'm afraid you're going to get mad at me all over again."

"Logan…" Veronica's left hand begins idly stroking Logan's hair. She’s surprised by her actions and he reaches up to hold her hand in place before she can pull it away. She pauses for a moment, and then resumes stroking his hair.

 

[Cut to two girls in high school uniforms. The first is very short and gaunt and has tawny brown 'Veronica'd' hair and tilted brown eyes. The second is tall and slender and has curly shoulder-length hair of pale red, and blue eyes.]

**GIRL A:**  I think Veronica Mars is like a total role model or something. As girls, I think we can learn a lot from her about…um…being a detective and stuff.

**GIRL B:** (shaking her head at her friend)  We can learn from Veronica how to stand up for what is right and how to be strong women who don't back down from our principles.

**GIRL A:**   (giggling)  And how to get two hot boys to like you.

**GIRL B:**   (silently shakes head)

**SPENCER:**  Team Logan or Team Duncan?

**GIRL B:**   Logan

**GIRL A:**   Duncan

**GIRL B:**   (silently shakes her head again)

 

[Cut to two good-looking guys in their early twenties]

**GUY A:**  The Neptune Three? Yeah, Veronica Mars is the perfect woman. Smart. Sexy.

**GUY B:**  The way she drives.

**GUY A:**  Yeah, the way she drives. Marry me, Veronica Mars! I'll keep that Fitzpatrick dude away.

 

"Sorry man, she already has a fiancé." Logan grumbles.

"Do I? Thought that was Nolan and Victoria."

"Same difference."

 

[Cut to a tiny lady in her sixties with silver hair and a large nose.]

**SPENCER:**  Have you been following the case of the Neptune Three?

**LADY:**  Huh?

**SPENCER:**  The three missing teenagers from Neptune California?

**LADY:**  Oh...oh...yeah. Aaron Eckhart's kid.

**SPENCER:**  No, that would be Aaron Echolls.

**LADY:**  Yeah...Echolls...Aaron Echolls. He was in that pollution movie where Juliette Robbins dressed like a harlot and tried to sue an insurance company.

**SPENCER:**  No, that was Aaron Eckhart who starred in Erin Brockovich with Julia Roberts. Aaron Echolls starred in 'Breaking Point' and 'Beyond the Breaking Point'.

**LADY:**  Oh right…right…Well, I think those kids should have gone straight to the police. The police are there to protect you.

**SPENCER:**  So you don't believe their claims that Sheriff Lamb is corrupt?

**LADY:**  He's a police officer. Why would he be corrupt? And what was that girl thinking wearing a skirt that short? She was asking for it. Back in my days…

 

"Nice! Blame the victim!" Logan yells at the television. "So if your granddaughters wore a short skirt, they'd deserve to be raped?"

"Logan…" Veronica says, "She's from a different generation. You can't reason with them. Especially through a TV set."

He rolls onto his side and then scoots so that his head is on Veronica's lap.

"What do you think you're doing, Logan?"

"Getting a better angle to watch TV, my neck was starting to hurt."

"You could have just sat back up like me,"

Logan presses his hand against hers again nudging her to rub his head some more. "But this is more comfy."

Veronica sighs, and begins rubbing his head again. "You always were like a puppy begging for a belly rub."

"My belly's that way," Logan grins impishly, and points down.

"Perv," Veronica says, with a groan.

 

[Cuts to a medium height lady with caramel-colored hair in her late twenties]

**LADY** :  The Neptune Three? I'm not sure how I feel. Veronica Mars is a fascinating person. I'm not sure if I would consider her a role model for young girls. She was well intentioned, and she apparently has nerves of steel, but the fact that she went after drug dealers alone shows judgment issues. I don't think that's a message we want to show young girls. On the other hand, she took a stand against crime. That's a better message to young girls than getting out of vehicles wearing no underwear.

**SPENCER** :  Did they do the right thing, going on the run together?

**LADY** :  Honestly? I think they did. After seeing the video of that Fitzpatrick guy making threats, I have no doubt that their lives were in danger.

**SPENCER** :  Team Logan or Team Duncan?

**LADY** :  Neither? Veronica Mars is a smart and motivated girl. Why does she need a rich boyfriend to be complete?

 

"Thank you!" Veronica says, "I never asked to be a role model."

 

[Cuts to a very pretty girl of around eighteen with shoulder length dark brown hair and sparkling brown cats eyes]

**GIRL:**   Veronica Mars is AMAZING. Her attitude, her style, her bravery, her driving skills. This Neptune Three thing is better than fiction. I'm riveted by them every time they're on TV.

**SPENCER:**  Team Logan or Team Duncan?

**GIRL:** (with a saucy smile)  Neither! Team Jessica all the way.  (She points to herself and waggles her eyebrows at the camera before blowing a kiss.)

 

"Oh. My. God," Logan says, "Please make that happen. Where can I get a Team Jessica shirt?"

"Ouch!" he whines when Veronica pulls his hair. "What? You're hot. She's hot. I'm a guy."

 

[Cut to two black teen boys.]

**BOY A:** It just goes to show. Rich white boys will get away with anything.

**BOY B:**  We get pulled over just for driving down the street while black, and these guys  kill  somebody and get to roam freely around the country.

**BOY A:**  People are acting like these guys are heroes or something!

**BOY B:**   Money will buy anything.

 

[Cut to redhead in her late twenties]

**LADY** **:** Shouldn't that Liam guy be in custody or something? He threatened to rape and murder Veronica Mars right on tape, and then chased them at high speeds. Isn't that a crime? Though, to be honest it disturbs me just as much that Duncan Kane is on the streets. I know he has some kind of disease or something, but he did kill a man. He makes me uneasy.

 

Logan shifts a bit so that he could look up into Veronica's eyes. "He'll be okay, Veronica," he says. "I just know he'll be fine."

"I hope you're right," she answers.

 

[Cut to a petite, attractive, Italian lady in her early forties.]

**LADY:**  Forget Team Logan and Team Duncan.  (Peels off her jacket revealing a Mars Investigations tee shirt)  Sign me up for Team Keith Mars. That's  my  kind of man.

 

"I don't know whether to cheer for that, or feel icky because somebody thinks of my dad as a sex symbol."

"Talk to me when your dad wins Sexiest Man Alive."

"Touché."

 

[Cut to three college-aged boys]

**BOY 1:**  Can't blame those guys. If I had a girlfriend that looked like Veronica Mars, I would do whatever was necessary to take care of her too.

**SPENCER:**  Which boy do you think is her boyfriend?

**BOY 2:**  I'd guess the taller one. Echolls. He seems more like the Alpha male of the two.

**BOY 3:**   If I were them, I would take the fight to that Ian dude.

**BOY 1:**   Yeah, they could take him, right?

**BOY 2:**  No, way man. He's meth head and mafia. They can't win.

 

[Cut to a gorgeous blonde bombshell-type of around seventeen. She is petite, but very curvy and well endowed.]

**BLONDE:**  The Neptune Three, huh?  (Smirks)  You know…Logan Echolls spent a couple weeks here this past summer. We went out on a few dates.

 

Veronica feels Logan stiffen under her hand. Glancing down, she notices guilt written across his face.

 

**SPENCER:**  Really? What was he like in person?

**BLONDE:**   Who knows?  (Leers at the camera)  We didn't spend much time talking.

 

"Oh my God! You slept with her!" Veronica yells, shoving Logan's head off her lap. "Get off of me!"

_Of course, he slept with her. She's beautiful, and has huge boobs. Just like Lilly._

"What? I was single then!" Logan protests, defensively.

"You still are."

 

**SPENCER:**  Oh…Um…So I take it you're Team Logan?

**BLONDE:**  Oh, yes! I am most definitely Team Logan. Veronica Mars, if you're not hooking up with Logan, you have no idea what you're missing.

 

Logan scoots to a half-sitting position and leans against Veronica, pulling her left arm around his neck and giving her puppy dog eyes. "Don't be jealous, baby. You know I only want to be fake-engaged to you."

"Jealous?" Veronica's jaw drops. "Maybe I just don't want you getting skanky girl germs all over me."

"You heard her. You have no idea what you're missing," Logan smirks and stretches up to kiss her on the cheek.

Veronica uses her free hand to wipe off his kiss. "Skanky girl germs," she explains.

 

[Cut to three teenage girls. A blonde with a Veronica cut, a brunette with a Veronica cut and an Asian girl with glossy black hair.]

**GIRL A:**  Logan Echolls is so hot. I hope he and Veronica really are together.

**GIRL B:**  Logan hot? I think Duncan is much hotter with those blue eyes. It's so romantic how he and Veronica reunited and went on the run together.

**GIRL A:**  if Duncan and Veronica are together, why do we only see her on video with Logan – first at Target and then their statement?

**GIRL B:**   Who cares? I like Duncan way better. He seems like he's a much nicer person than Logan is.

**GIRL A:**   And way more boring. But what else should I expect from you. You were Team Dawson too, so there's no accounting for taste. Logan is more like Pacey.

**GIRL B** **:** Duncan isn't like Dawson. He's like Angel.  (Sighs)  All brooding and mysterious.

**GIRL A:**  And Logan is more like Spike. The snarky one whom everybody likes.

**GIRL B:**  You're wrong. Everybody likes Angel better. He even got his own show.

**GIRL A:**  And I never had to watch him mope around again.

**GIRL B:**   Why do you always have to be so mean?

**GIRL A:**  Why do you always have to be so ignorant?

**GIRL B:** (shoves Girl A out of the frame)

**GIRL A:**   (shoves back, knocking Girl B out of the frame)

**GIRL C:** (now alone in the frame) Fangirls! (Rolls her eyes, exaggeratedly)

 

"What the hell just happened there?" Veronica asks.

"Fangirls? Dad's had some crazies, but he's never been in the middle of a love triangle thing."

"This. Is. Not. A. Love. Triangle," Veronica says.

"Mmm hmm," Logan said.

Veronica does not like the way he’s looking at her. A slight smirk with a knowing glance - as if she’s missing something right in front of her face.

"This is not a love triangle," she repeats.

"I know," he murmurs, but he still has that look on his face.

She isn’t sure if she wants to slap him, or kiss him, but the sound of the bathroom door lock disengaging, renders the decision moot.

Veronica and Logan jump apart as if they had just been caught making out by her father. By the time Duncan steps out of the bathroom, Logan is sitting up and there’s enough space between them to fit another person.

When their eyes met again, they’re both twinkling with suppressed laughter.

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Since he'd woken, Duncan has been on the verge of one panic attack after another, and it’s not yet 9:00 AM.

He can breathe now, though. He’s squeaky clean, well dressed, and groomed. It means nothing in the larger scheme of things, but string together enough small measures of control, and he might become at least...functional.

He reaches for the bathroom doorknob, thumbing the lock, and then hesitates. On the other side of that door is Veronica and Logan. The girl he's spent the better part of a year trying to forget, and the best friend who’s been bolstering him ever since Lilly died. He's seen far too much worry and concern in Logan's eyes over the past year, and he can only imagine how bad it will be now.

The truly ironic part is, despite the fact that he'd gone fugue for four days after killing a man, he hasn't felt this clear-headed in ages. It’s been well over a week since that first anti-depressant had fallen down the drain, and he can think again. Feel again.

He turns the knob.

Veronica and Logan are on the second bed watching TV and silently laughing at some private joke. That will take some getting used to.

When Veronica notices him, she reaches for the remote and turns off the TV. They both eye him warily.

_They're sizing me up. Waiting to see if I'm going to snap again._

"What?" he laughs nervously. "Did I do something else I can't remember?"

"No ," Logan says. "It's just 'Man On The Street' interviews

"And you don't want me to see them?"

"I don't know…" Logan starts, his face serious. "I just know how fragile your ego is, and... I guess there's no easy way to say this...America likes me better."

Duncan snorts. "Don't worry Logan. I'm sure once they get to know you, they'll despise you like the rest of us."

Logan lets out a relieved laugh. "Gee DK, you're the best! I knew there was a reason I keep you around as my best friend."

The subtle tension in Logan's posture seems to melt away, and Duncan sees relief on his face. Logan believes in him still.

Veronica will be much tougher to convince. He can’t bury his head in the sand any longer pretending she doesn’t exist. Somehow, their lives have become entangled once again, and this time it’s a Gordian freaking knot.

Still, it’s hard for him to look at her. A year's worth of shame and nausea is a hard habit to break. He takes a deep breath, steels himself, as if for battle, and takes a seat on the edge of his bed.

"Veronica…" he starts, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. "I know I've been in self-pity mode since I woke up this morning, but...I need to tell you how sorry I am about what happened to you."

Surprise flickers in her eyes for a moment, before she offers him a smile. It isn’t a warm smile - she’s still too wary for that - but it’s sincere enough. "I appreciate the sentiment, Duncan."

Duncan nods. That’ll have to do for now. They aren’t going to become friends again overnight.

"So...um…" Duncan starts. "Do we have a plan or something?"

"Our truck is in a chop shop being painted and disguised, so we're stuck here in Dallas until tomorrow night. Then, we're heading to Florida. Nicholas Key. My dad has a secret yacht there we can live on while he's in the Czech Republic filming his latest travesty."

" _The_  Nicholas Key? How'd your dad pull that off?"

Logan just stares at him.

"Okay, dumb question," Duncan acknowledges.

"Veronica and I were talking, and we think you should probably see Dr. Tony."

"In case you're malnourished, or need any follow-up care," Veronica adds.

Duncan nods. "Oh...okay...who is Dr. Tony?"

"We're at a motel - Lakeview Court," Logan says. "It's owned by this lady Peggy, who's like an angel or something, and Dr. Tony is her son. He had you at his clinic for twenty-four hours, and brought you back last night."

"He's a really nice guy. You'll like him," Veronica says.

"He's a player who wants to get into Veronica's pants, but other than that, he's not half bad."

Veronica elbows Logan in the ribs. "He does NOT want to get in my pants." Turning to Duncan, she adds, "Logan is projecting his own nefarious treatment of women upon Dr. Tony,"

"Projecting? Big words, Nancy Drew," Logan laughs. "This girl knows absolutely nothing about men," he tells Duncan, shaking his head sadly.

"How could I? You spent the last year chasing off any guy who tried to get near me," Veronica argues.

"Ah...this again..." Logan grins, cracking his knuckles as if for battle.

Duncan feels a smile tugging at his lips. This is banter, not a serious argument. Somehow, Logan and Veronica have become friends again. Close enough friends that their previous estrangement isn't a taboo subject.

For a moment, he feels absurdly happy. So many times over the past year, he'd wanted to reach out to Veronica. To heal the rift between the remaining three members of the Fab Four. He'd even broached the subject once or twice, But Logan had been adamantly opposed to it, and Duncan had neither the energy nor the passion to push back. It was so much easier to avoid her anyway.

Logan had never been willing to discuss the source of his hate-on for Veronica, just as Duncan had never been willing to discuss the breakup. To push the matter would have been hypocritical.

But now - by some miracle - Logan and Veronica have managed to heal their relationship by themselves - without him to referee.

He realizes that they’ve stopped bickering, and are staring at him.

"What?"

"You're the one staring, dude." Logan says.

"You two are friends again," Duncan observes, dumbly.

"Yeah…" Veronica nods, as if he’s stating the obvious. "It's kind of hard to hate when you're desperately trying to keep each other alive."

"No…This is more than a friendship of convenience." Duncan can’t quite put his finger on it. "It's like before, only…different."

"Dude, you've slept through a war these past few days. Veronica is like my…?"

"Battle buddy?" Veronica suggests.

"Yeah…" Logan grins at her. "Or...comrade in arms."

Their eyes met again in that amused  _nobody-but-us-could-ever-understand_  look.

"It's going to take some getting used to," Duncan says, "It's almost...surreal...seeing you two get along."

"Oh, we don't always get along," Veronica says.

"Yeah, you should have seen us going at it last night. I'm surprised she didn't wake you right out of your stupor with all of that yowling."

" _My_ yowling?" Veronica gasps, "I seem to remember you raising your voice."

"What were you fighting about?" Duncan asks.

"Nothing," Logan and Veronica say, simultaneously.

_What's that all about?_

"That's how I ended up in bed with you, though," Veronica says, "I'll admit, it was a bit of a tantrum move, on my part."

"Where do you usually sleep," Duncan asks. He just  _has_  to ask.

Veronica and Logan do that secret communication thing they’ve been doing all morning.

"I sleep with Logan," Veronica looks him straight in the eyes, daring him to have a problem with it. "And I'm not going to stop."

"Oh..." is all Duncan can say.

"It's not like that," Logan jumps in. "Nothing has happened. Trust me; it's a  _good_  thing we sleep together."

_Oh, this ought to be good._

"Not that we have to explain ourselves to you," Veronica cuts in. "But I've been having these nightmares, where Ciaran and Liam Fitzpatrick take turns trying to rape me." She shudders. "They're not very pleasant."

"I'm truly sorry," Duncan says sincerely. He knows all about nightmares. He's been having them for a year.

"And every time she's tried to sleep alone, she's woken up yelling and screaming."

"Except when I'm with Logan. Somehow, his presence keeps the nightmares at bay."

"It's the only way that any of us are going to get any sleep," Logan says, "Last night was particularly bad."

"I understand," Duncan says, What else could he say?  _Quit comforting my ex-girlfriend/sister?_  No, if Logan says nothing’s happened, nothing’s happened. Logan wouldn't lie to him.

"Well, since you're being so understanding…in the interest of full disclosure..." Logan starts.

"What else?" Duncan asks, afraid to hear the answer.

"Veronica and I are kind of engaged. At least that's our cover story."

Veronica gives Logan a, _'_ _why'd-you-have-to-go-and-bring-that-up?_ _'_ look, and then holds up her left hand, wiggling it so that the small diamond engagement ring on her finger catches the light.

"Cover story?"

"Yeah, you and Veronica are brother and sister."

Duncan almost chokes. " _What_  did you just say?"

"Your alias is...what is his alias again?"

"Declan Marshall," Veronica fills in. "I'm Victoria Marshall, your big sister. My fiancé, Nolan Ellis…" she gestures to Logan. "...and I are driving you to a mental hospital due to your catatonia. At least we were. We'll have to come up with a new destination now."

"It was Weevil's idea," Logan says.

At Duncan's blank look, Logan clarifies. "Weevil Navarro. Leader of the PCHers, Mrs. Navarro's grandson, the guy Lilly was fucking behind my back." His eyes grow flinty at the last statement.

Duncan glances a question at Veronica, who nods in agreement. "It's true. He knew about her birthmark."

Duncan deliberates over that for a moment. "So, you think? That night at the bonfire?"

Logan slaps his forehead. "I forgot about that. Of  _course_ , that's why they left without a fight. And here I thought it was my ferocious punching skills. Fucking Lilly!"

Duncan doesn’t know what to say. He'd known that Lilly wasn't faithful. Hell, even Logan had known. They'd just never known who the other guy was.

"So what did Weevil have to do with the cover story?"

"Oh, he thought the whole thing up, and brought us fake driver's licenses," Logan says, "He thought if Veronica was engaged, it would keep the assholes away from her."

"How's that working out?"

Logan scowls. "Some guys just can't take a hint. We went out the other night, and three guys tried to pick her up right in front of me. "

"Maybe they didn't see the ring?" Duncan offers.

"Duncan, we do the affectionate thing in public. Hand holding, flirting, etcetera. There's no way they didn't know. Luckily, Veronica handled them."

_Just ignore that throbbing ache in your belly. It's only a show they're putting on._

"Hey, I have to call Dr. Tony," Logan says, "Get yourself some coffee, Duncan," he gestures to the coffee bar.

Duncan snickers. "Who was dumb enough to put two caffeine addicts like you in a room with a coffee pot? Is there any tea? Maybe some green tea?"

Logan groans. "Will you freaking man-up and drink some coffee? There's no tea drinking in war. Plus, coffee will put hair on your chest. Just ask Veronica."

Veronica rolls her eyes. "I think there may be some tea packets over there."

"I just don't like having unnecessary caffeine. Is there any food?" Duncan asks.

"Pop-tarts, Cap'n Crunch, cookies, chips," Veronica says.

"You're trying to kill me," Duncan laughs. "I meant real food."

Veronica shrugs. "You seemed to like those nutrition drinks we've been feeding you all week."

"I'll just get something later," Duncan says.

A moment later, Logan is off the phone. "He said he can clear up his schedule in two hours. That'll give Veronica and I time to shower."

While Logan is in the shower, Veronica makes Duncan sit and record a video statement. He keeps it simple. He'd had an epileptic episode. He has no memory of the episode or killing Ciaran Fitzpatrick. His first memory is 'coming to' at Logan's house, where they came to the mutual decision to leave Neptune. He had not, in any way, been kidnapped.

Once she’s satisfied, Veronica emails it to a news reporter she trusts.

While Veronica is in the shower, Logan takes Duncan to the motel office to meet Peggy, the angelic proprietor.

"Oh, look at you, up and moving around," Peggy says, pulling Duncan into her arms.

He falters for a moment, and then returns the hug, oddly touched by this stranger's warm welcome. His mother has never been a toucher, and his father rarely does, but Peggy's warm embrace is his first bit of comfort since he's woken.

"You have to be starving," she says, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"A bit," Duncan admits. "But not enough to try to eat that garbage Logan and Veronica try to pass off for food."

"Let's see what I can whip up for you," Peggy says, disappearing through a doorway behind the counter before Duncan can even put up a token protest.

"What're you waiting for?" Logan asks putting a hand on Duncan's shoulder and guiding him through the same doorway into a gleaming white kitchen.

"Heads up," Peggy calls, and Logan catches the apple she tosses at him.

"Ahh...Peggy," he grins. "You know me so well. How about I ditch that rotten fiancée of mine, and you and I run away together?"

"Don't tempt me, you little rogue." Peggy laughs. "That so-called rotten fiancée of yours carries a taser and knows how to use it."

"Don't worry about Veronica. She'd probably pay you to take me off her hands."

"I think you underestimate your charm, young man." Peggy wiggles her finger at Logan. "Duncan, what can I get for you? Eggs? Oatmeal? Toast?"

"Oatmeal would be great, thank you," Duncan answers.

Several minutes later, Peggy places a steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of him. "What would you like in it? Maple? Brown Sugar? Pecans? Raisins? Cinnamon? "

"Maple syrup is good, thank you," Duncan gives her a nervous smile.

Peggy produces a bottle of pure maple from the fridge and hands it to Duncan.

"So, DK has an appointment with Dr. Tony in...a little over an hour," Logan says, "Where exactly is this clinic. You mentioned three blocks from here?"

"Yes. Make a left out of the parking lot, and it's about three blocks down on the right. It's called the Horizon Clinic. It's in a short brick building."

"Got it," Logan says.

"Could I have you boys do me a favor while you're out?" Peggy asks.

"Let me think...you took us in knowing we were fugitives, gave us a room in the empty wing of the motel so nobody would see us, and keep me stocked with apples. Like I could resist you anything." Logan says.

"Thanks sweetie, if I give you a list, will you pick a few things for me at 7-Eleven? It's a few blocks further than the clinic, and you can take the truck. I'm stuck here until at least 5:00."

"Definitely," Logan says, accepting the ring of keys from her and shoving them in his pocket. "DK, finish your oatmeal, and I'll go see if V is ready. We can do 7 Eleven first." He hurries out of the room.

Peggy sits down across from Duncan. "Now tell me how you're really doing."

"I'm okay, ma'am." `

"Of course, you're not okay," Peggy says, "You've had a traumatic experience. My son Tony can help with your physical health, but your emotional health is just as important."

"Thank you. It's just...an adjustment. It seems like the whole world's gone crazy," Duncan says.

"The media coverage?" Peggy asks.

"No, I haven't seen much of that, yet. It's Logan and Veronica. Five days ago, they hated each other's guts."

"Do you really believe that?" Peggy asks, gently.

Duncan considers the idea. "No...It never made sense. But they acted like they hated each other."

"And now things have changed."

"Yeah, things have changed," Duncan says, "I hate to say it, but I think I might be jealous." He looks away in embarrassment.

"Because you still have feelings for Veronica?" Peggy asks.

"What?" Duncan asks, surprised. "No, not that kind of jealous. It's just that...Logan has been my best friend ever since Tommy Lewis tried to make me eat a worm in kindergarten."

"And now?"

"It's crazy, but I think Logan and Veronica are best friends, now."

"They've been through a lot together," Peggy says, "It's natural for them to get closer,"

"I know, but it's more than close. It's as if they speak this secret language with their eyes. And they have all of these inside jokes. And they sit on the same bed to watch TV. They even sleep together. And it's only been five days. How is that even possible? Can people become best friends in five days?"

"Shared trauma can create rock solid bonds. Are you afraid that their relationship is going to turn romantic?"

"No. Logan said there's nothing going on."

"Then, what are you really afraid of, Duncan?"

"I guess...that I won't have a place in their new...dynamic. I'm the one who got them into this mess, and they've been doing just fine without me. I guess I'm afraid that I'm going to lose my friend. And that Veronica will never be my friend again. I treated her pretty badly."

"So did Logan," Peggy points out.

Duncan's lips curl into a wry grin. "So you think I have a chance of fitting in?"

"I think you have some very loyal friends," Peggy says, warmly. "You'll be fine."

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**7-Eleven**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Logan pulls Peggy's truck behind the 7-Eleven and throws it into Park. "Back in a few minutes," he says, pulling on his black baseball cap, and tucking his glasses into his front shirt pocket.

"Wait up," Veronica says., "I want a Slushee." She hands her Seattle guidebook to Duncan in the back seat, "Here, study this. Our cover story is that we're from Seattle. Memorize some details. You need anything?"

"Nah, I'm good, thanks." Duncan says, already beginning to skim pages in the book.

Logan waits for Veronica to catch up, and they walk around the corner together, the plain brick wall of the building to their right. She’s looking super-hot today in those khaki short shorts - the girl has some serious legs for such a tiny thing. She wears the long blonde 'Texas wig' and a snug red tee shirt with a black scroll work pattern. She must’ve been thinking of Lilly while she was shopping at Target, because she's been wearing a lot of red lately. Logan approves. It’s definitely her color.

Once the truck is out of sight, he stops, touching her arm.

"So...what do you think?" he asks.

"About Duncan? Too soon to tell."

"I think he's going to be okay," Logan says, "He seems different. More...alive, maybe. Less like a zombie."

"I noticed that too," Veronica says. "It must have been his meds making him so dull and lifeless all this time."

"Yeah."

They resume walking, and Logan is slightly ahead of her when they began rounding the corner to the front of the building. He jumps back, grabbing her arm.

"Shit. Two cops, coming this way," he hisses.

"Did they see you?"

"No, they were looking at each other."

"How close?" Veronica asks, glancing towards the back of the building.

"Not enough time to make it around back without looking suspicious," Logan says, a look of panic on his face.

"Damn," Veronica says, glancing around for some kind of out.

No cars park are parked facing the building for them to hide behind. The police cruiser is parked on the opposite side of the lot, so the cops will have to pass by their corner.

How had they missed that cop car? Logan knows he'd been too caught up in checking out Veronica's legs, but she’s usually more observant. "What do we do?" he asks.

"Kiss me," Veronica says.

Logan shakes his head to clear the cobwebs. He could swear he'd just heard Veronica Mars tell him to kiss her. "Repeat that?" he says.

Frustration evident in her eyes, she shoves him against the wall. "Ugh, we don't have time!" Her arms snake up around his neck, pulling his head down. She presses a chaste kiss to his lips.

Logan snickers.

"Something funny?" she hisses, pressing a second chaste kiss to his lips.

"Usually when a girl slams me against a wall, I'm not expecting her to kiss me like my mom."

His lips purse and he makes an exaggerated smoochy sound when their lips meet again.

Veronica giggles. "Stop it! Be serious!"

" _Stop_  being so serious. It looks fake." Logan whispers to the small space between their lips. "Relax."

The sound of conversation draws nearer, and Veronica must be taking his advice to heart, because her lips are softer when they next meet Logan's, lingering for a fraction of a second. The following kiss lingers slightly longer.

"Should we do something about that?" Logan hears a male voice say.

"Nah, doesn't look like it's getting out of control, let 'em be," the second voice answers.

He hears two car doors open and close.

After the seventh kiss, Veronica doesn’t pull her lips away. Somewhere around the eleventh, Logan forgets all about the cops. His arms slide around her, hands resting gently on her lower back, careful not to apply pressure and spook her.

He fights any urge to take control. He’s used to more passionate kisses - usually initiates them - but there’s something almost  _dreamlike_  about Veronica's soft kisses. Her lips parting, dragging across his in slow-motion, coming together, each kiss marginally altering the angle. Each lingering longer at its apex. Wet, but not too wet. Soft, but not too soft.

After a dozen or so more of these soft kisses, Veronica exhales and presses her forehead to his. She stills for a moment - too long - before moving the tip of her nose to touch his, their lips mere centimeters apart. It isn’t a kiss this time, but instead a barely-there touching of the lips. Their shared breath is hot as her parted lips brush whisper-soft across his - miniscule shifts to the left/right- like butterfly kisses without the eyelashes - creating unfamiliar sensations in Logan.

He reevaluates his earlier conclusion as he fights the urge to suck her lower lip into his mouth. This isn’t the sort of passion that he’s used to, but there’s still a quiet sense of passion in the stillness. And something more. Intimate.

She tilts her head to kiss him again, this time tentatively touching the tip of her tongue to his, sending what feels like a jolt of lightening to his groin, by way of his heart. Her lips close, before opening again to sweep her tongue across his. He vaguely registers the sound of a car backing up and pulling away _-_ _Bye bye officers -_ as she kisses him for the third time - this time not immediately retreating. It’s a soft, unhurried kiss, like a gentle rain in summer, and he’s just about to bring in some heat lightening, when she pulls back, looking over her shoulder to where the police cruiser had previously been parked. Dropping her hands from his neck, she takes a step back.

Logan sighs in disappointment. It’s over. Veronica's dazed eyes are beginning to clear, and in a minute, she’ll either throw a hissy fit or blow it off, pretending it never happened.

_No! HELL no! I never got the chance to show her what it could really be like between us._

_I didn't wait four fucking years for this kiss, only to have it be forgettable to her. If this is going to be our one and only kiss, I'm going to kiss the hell out of her._

Logan goes on offense.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**7-Eleven**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

The cops have driven away, and Veronica has lost her only legitimate excuse for kissing Logan. She allows the kiss to continue several seconds longer than strictly necessary, because - dammit - it’s heavenly.

She'd always assumed kissing Logan would be different than kissing Duncan, but she'd never imagined it would feel this...electric.

She pulls away and looks over her shoulder, just to be sure. Yep, the cruiser are gone. She sighs and takes a step back from Logan.

She’s already missing the contact with his lips when her eyes raise to meet his.

_Why is he looking at me like that? What is he plan—_

Logan's hands are suddenly on either side of her face and he’s turning her.

"My turn," he whispers before her back hits the brick wall and his mouth descends hard upon hers.

Logan wastes no time on formalities, deepening the kiss almost immediately. Veronica lets out a little whimper, her hands rising to wrap around his neck. This is insanity. This is…

_Oh my G—_

She gives in to the madness. Mind has no place here. Logan moves closer, sandwiching her between his body and the wall, overwhelming her with his scent, the slight taste of mint, and the delicious things his tongue is doing in her mouth.

A current runs between them - so electric, that they have to be causing power failures all over the city.

_We shouldn't be—_

Logan's right hand slides to her waist, hauling her even closer. Veronica has never been kissed like this before. Duncan had been a gentle, unhurried, kisser. This one is anything but gentle. It’s fire and passion and urgency. She is, however, a quick learner, and within seconds is giving back as good as she’s getting.

_Need to st—_

She barely notices the baseball cap falling to the ground as her fingers slide up to tangle in Logan's soft hair. She'd always imagined it would be crunchy with all of that product, but you get what you pay for, and apparently, Logan is paying for hold without stiffness. The thought prompts a small giggle from her, and Logan pulls back a bit, examining her with amused eyes. Concluding that they are far from done, he kisses her three times softly in the center of her lips, before shifting to the opposite side and beginning his onslaught anew.

She wonders if he can taste the four years of longing and need and desire she’s pouring into this kiss. Somehow, she feels as if he’s making up for lost years as well. This is far more than a physical thing.

She feels so dizzy and lightheaded; she doubts her legs could even hold her up if Logan wasn't pressing her against the wall.

_Need to stop. Need to stop it n—_

Logan's lips leave hers and begin kissing a path down her jawline. Down her neck. She hardly notices her traitorous right knee climbing the outside of Logan's leg, until she feels Logan's large hand sliding along the back of her bare thigh, creating tingles and goose bumps in its wake, as he moves it to his hip.

_Why can't I even complete a freaking thou—_

His lips and tongue find that spot on her neck at the same moment his hands found her ass, and apparently, they were all on the same nerve network, because she feels it in her core. God, she feels it. She gasps in pleasure, feeling an unbearable need to get closer still. Her nipples tighten almost painfully. Can he feel them through three layers of fabric? As much as she doesn’t want to call attention to them, she feels herself arching her back to press harder against him.

She needs to touch him, and why the hell shouldn't she? Her hands slide down his back, hesitating for several beats on his lower back, and then her right hand tentatively slides to his butt. Logan makes a choked sound, and the muscles tighten under her hand. When he lifts her a few inches off the ground pinning her to the wall, she drags him even closer by the ass.

Fuck. He’s hard. Fuck, that hardness feels good pressed against her right there.

Logan's mouth finds her's again and this time there’s no finesse, just pure urgency. Her left hand returns to roughly tangle in his hair, keeping him put.

_What the hell are we doing? OH MY GOD, don't stop!_

The bricks are scratching her back, and she must be losing her freaking mind, because she likes it. She loves it.

_Have I even breathed in the past several minutes?_

The sound of a car horn nearby breaks the spell.

Logan's body pulls back enough to gently lower Veronica to the ground.

His hands return to cup her face, and the kiss' personality changes once again, becoming tender and gentle. The kind of kiss designed to erase any doubts that this is just a physical thing.

Finally, he pulls away slowly, pressing several gentle kisses to her lips, the tip of her nose, and her forehead, before releasing her from his arms and taking a step back.

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**7-Eleven**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

_oh fuck._

_OH FUCK._

_Fuckity_

_Fuck_

_Fuck_

_Fuck._

_Open vein, inject Veronica Mars._

 

 

  
[ ](http://imgur.com/PW0fasG)  


* * *

**Day Five**  
**7-Eleven**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Her eyelids feels like they’re made of lead.

_Can't I just put this off for a while? Lean here against this building, eyes closed; pondering the meaning of...Actually, this is probably a bad time for pondering._

With Herculean effort, she cracks one eyelid, and then the other.

Logan stares at her in confusion, his lips slightly parted. His eyes have never seemed so dark or magnetic as they do in this moment.

Veronica stares back, unable to break the contact even if she wanted to.

Almost 200,000 words in the English language, and not a single one feels appropriate for this moment.

_What have we done? This is not good._

After what feels like an hour, but can’t have been more than a minute, Logan's head tilts forward slightly, forehead wrinkling into his trademark Bassett hound look, complete with the puppy dog eyes of doom.

_Oh no. Not this time, buddy. If I fall for that this time, my name isn't...um…_

_...ah…_

_...oh fuck!_

Logan gives her a tentative smile, and arches a single eyebrow at her.

"Veronica Mars!" she says, breathlessly.   
  
_Oh my God! I said that out loud._

Logan's lip twitches in amusement. He holds up a hand in greeting, wiggling his fingers. "Logan Echolls."

"Ugh!" Veronica covers her face in her hands in embarrassment.

Logan takes a step closer, his hands all business now, as he straightens her wig, and smooths her tee shirt.

She glances up at him, but his hair is no worse for her fingers having twisted and tangled in it. She really needs to find out what that miracle product is.

"So…" Logan says, stepping back, with an embarrassed smile.

"There you guys are," Duncan's voice comes around the corner. "Where's the stuff?" He looks at them curiously.

Logan's eyes flick once more to Veronica before turning to Duncan, all innocence. "We never made it inside. We had to wait out some cops loitering in the front of the store. They just pulled away."

"You dropped your hat," Duncan says, stooping to pick it up and handing it to Logan. "I just realized I could use a few things myself. Fruit and stuff."

"I changed my mind," Veronica mutters. "I'm going back to the truck." She reaches for the keys dangling from Duncan's hand, turns on her heel, and begins walking away.

"She's in a mood. I'll deal with her," she can hear Logan saying. "Here, get the stuff on Peggy's list, and grab Ronnie a Slushee. She likes that Piña Colada flavor."

"Veronica," he calls. She keeps walking. She hears his footsteps as she turns the corner.

"Veronica!" His footsteps close in. "Will you freaking wait for me?" She feels his hand on her wrist, and she spins around to tell him to leave her the hell alone, but then somehow their mouths become connected again.

And then somehow, she’s straddling Logan's lap in in the tiny back seat of Peggy's extended cab truck.

Veronica isn’t sure how they'd gotten from Point A to Point B, but Logan is tugging her wig off her head, and tossing it across the back seat so that he can run his fingers through her hair.

"We can't…" Veronica protests, weakly.

"We…" -Kiss- "Sure as hell" -Kiss- _"_ _can_ _."_ Logan says. His hands find her ass again, drawing her closer to him, and then start running down her bare legs.

"No." Veronica whines, as Logan's mouth moves to her neck.

"Yes." Logan answers, glancing up.

His dark eyes are filled with lust and he has never in his life looked hotter to her. He returns his mouth to her neck.

Somehow, Veronica's hands are under his shirt, running up his back, where she can feel his muscles rippling under her palms. She'd never gone further than kissing with Duncan, but with Logan, she already wants to pull off his shirt and explore all of that smooth skin with her lips and teeth.

"Logan…" she breathes.

"Hmm…"

"We can't."

This time he pulls back and stares at her. "Why not?"

Veronica extracts her hands from his shirt. "Too many reasons. Lilly and Duncan, and…"

"Fuck Lilly," Logan says, biting her bottom lip. "Fuck Duncan." He kisses her again, deepening it almost immediately. Veronica allows herself to enjoy it for several moments before pulling away again.

"Logan. This is the worst mistake we could possibly make."

"Kissing?" He runs his tongue along her collarbone, causing her to shiver and clutch at his hair.

"Stop." She pulls back.

"Okay…" Logan says quietly, staring at her.

"We can't ever do that again, Logan." Veronica says, shakily. "It will ruin everything."

"Veronica," Logan's eyes are weary now. "You can't possibly be surprised this happened. The only thing surprising is that it took us so long."

Veronica covers her face with her hands. "We. Just. Can't."

"You think you can stop it?" Logan laughs bitterly. "No don't look at me like that. You know I didn't mean it like that."

Veronica nods shakily. "I know."

She reaches for Logan's hand. "I. Can't. Lose. You." she says, staring into his eyes, begging him to understand.

"You think you're going lose me if we make out?" Logan's lips find Veronica's again, lingering for a moment.

"Yes," Veronica answers. "It'll complicate matters. Things will get messy and you'll want to take off."

He braces her face between his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I made a promise to you that I would never leave you behind."

"Everybody leaves me behind." Veronica blinks back the moisture threatening to fill her eyes.

Logan groans and kissed her softly again. "You're going to have to learn to trust me. You can't tell me this didn't mean anything to you! You can't tell me you don't feel that pull."

"Of course I feel it," Veronica says in frustration.

"And that's not enough for you?" Logan asks.

"No. Our relationship is too important to me to risk on a physical attraction. Plus...Lilly."

"What about Lilly?"

_You would rather be with her. I'd always be your second choice. A poor imitation._

"I just can't."

"Okay," Logan nods, and looks away. "Well, I better..."

If Veronica had a hard time bearing the hurt in his eyes last night, this is twice as painful. He looks downright miserable.

She can’t help herself. She grabs his face in her hands and kisses him again. It’s only supposed to be a soft, reassuring kiss, but it deepens almost immediately, swiftly slipping out of her control as she writhes against him. A minute later, she pulls free, gasping for breath.

"You changed your mind?" Logan is smiling, and running a hand through her hair.

"No," Veronica shakes her head. "We can't do this."

Logan's eyes harden. Now he’s pissed. "Well, do you mind not sitting on my cock while you reject me?"

Veronica scrambles off him as fast as she can, searching for her wig. She can’t look at him, but his rant has just started.

"This is exactly what I meant last night. Mixed fucking messages. You don't want me, and I tried to accept it. Then you're grinding down on me. Then you don't want me again."

He slams open the back door of the truck, climbing out and pulling his tee shirt down to cover his erection. He climbs behind the wheel and holds his hand out for the keys. Veronica hands them to him silently and slips her wig back onto her head.

"You think if you ignore this hard enough that it'll go away?" Logan asks incredulously. "It never does. It only intensifies."

"No wonder you and Duncan got along so well. You both wander around in permanent states of denial."

"Screw you, Logan."

"I would…but you'd probably change your mind halfway through it."

Veronica doesn’t bother to answer, instead staring out the window a look of disdain on her face.

"I can make you two promises, Veronica." Logan starts. "One. This will happen again. And Two. You will be the one initiating it. I'm done trying."

"Real confident, aren't you Logan?"

"Yes. I am."

"Don't be. I won't be initiating anything."

"Oh yes you will. We let it out. There's no locking it back away again."

"Wanna bet?"

"Actually?" Veronica watches Logan's eyes light up in the rear view mirror. "Actually, I do." He digs the burner phone out of the console and dials a number by heart.

"Who are you calling?" Veronica demands. Logan ignores her question.

"Hey." he says, when the other party answers the phone. "It's me. Don't say my name out loud."

"Dick! I told you not to say may name! Just Beaver and Enbom? Okay. So how much money do you owe me? Those two bets and the cracked surfboard. $5000? That much? Good! No, I don't need money."

"How's that pool going? I heard you talking about it on the news." He listens silently for a moment. "You're kidding me? Neptune High has no imagination. Yeah, that's exactly why I called. Put it all on me." His eyes bore into Veronica's in the rear view. "Actually, throw in another five thousand for me. You know I'm good for it. Nope, no inside information. I'm just very very motivated to win."

As Logan listens to the other end of the call, the passenger door opens, and Duncan looks at Logan and Veronica in confusion. He carries a cup and several plastic bags full of purchases. Has it really only been five minutes?

"Tell nobody that you talked to me, and let's keep this to ourselves. I'll get in touch with you soon. Later, dude." Logan hangs up the phone.

"What's this?" Duncan asks pointing to Veronica in the back seat. "Are you two having another one of your famous blowouts?"

"Yes." Logan and Veronica say simultaneously.

Duncan shakes his head and climbs in, handing a Slushee back to Veronica. "Do you need me to referee?"

"No." Both voices say.

"It'll blow over," Logan says.

"Good," Duncan exhales, obviously relieved to not have to get involved. "So, I picked up some Nutragrain Bars, and some packaged salads to put in that fridge, and this really good spinach juice I've tried a few times, oh, and some black beans we could put on the salads for protein, and..."

Logan's eyes meet Veronica's in the rear view again. He brings an imaginary gun to his temple and pulls the imaginary trigger. Veronica is furious. She’s ready to kill the guy, but she can’t suppress her snicker. Damn, traitorous sense of humor.

Logan drives to the motel first, so that he can take Peggy her purchases, and refrigerate their own, before heading out to Duncan's appointment with Dr. Tony.

 

Veronica can’t stop touching her lips. Logan was a great kisser. Strike that - Logan was a phenomenal kisser, Logan could teach a master class on kissing, Logan could put Rudolph Valentino to shame, and that sailor in Times Square on V-Day - but there was  _no way_  her lips should still be tingling ten minutes later.

She glanced up at the mirror and sees Logan staring at her intensely again. "Mint," he says with a smirk. He doesn’t elaborate further.

"Huh?" Duncan asks. "What are you saying?"

Logan turns to him and smiles innocently. "Veronica's wondering why her lips are tingling."

"And they're tingling because of...mint?" Duncan asks in confusion.

"She...um... _borrowed_...some of my lip balm a little bit ago. Without asking, I might add. It's minty."

Duncan snorts at Logan "You use flavored lip balm? Does it go with your eye shadow?"

"Say what you want, Duncan. You be macho, I'll have fresh and tingly lips." His eyes find Veronica's in the mirror again. "I've never had any complaints from the girls."

 


	18. Day Five - But You Knew He Was a Jackass

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Horizon Medical Clinic**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Veronica and Duncan follow Logan to the back of the Horizon clinic, where he knocks on the door four times, pauses, and knocks twice more.

"Ahhh...the secret knock," Veronica whispers. "I see we're being covert."

"A concept you're familiar with," Logan says pointedly, without looking at her.

A striking brunette in a diaphanous peach blouse and black dress pants opens the door. She’s tall, curvy, and tan, with arresting green eyes and long, sleek ponytail. She glances around surreptitiously, before ushering them through a hallway and into a small examination room.

"Have a seat. I'm going to put all three of you in here for now, so nobody sees you." She drawls, flashing Logan a grin with dimples deep enough to swim in. Veronica's eyes narrow.

To the left of the doorway, two charcoal colored chairs line the wall next to a pale gray laminate desktop. Veronica sits in the second cushioned chair and berates herself for feeling disappointed when, instead of taking the empty seat next to her, Logan hops up on the paper-covered examination table against the opposite wall. It’s for the best. The less proximity to Logan, the less risk of becoming spontaneously attached at the mouths again.

Duncan hesitates for a moment, looking between the examination table and the vacant chair, and then chooses the seat to Veronica's right, sitting stiffly at the edge.

_Is he so uncomfortable around me because we used to date, or is there another reason?_

"I won't pretend that I don't know who you are," the brunette says, closing the door behind her. "But your secret is safe with me." She makes the zipper motion across her lips, while Veronica tries not to gag. "I'm Carolann, the receptionist here." She gives Duncan a firm handshake, then Veronica, before crossing to shake Logan's hand. The third handshake lingers longer than necessary, and Veronica watches a knowing smile slide across Logan's face.

"I can take your vitals while we wait, Duncan," Carolann says, turning back around. "Dr. Loomis didn't want any of the nurses to see you, and I need the practice, anyway."

Duncan stands and obediently allows Carolann to measure his height and weight, his temperature and blood pressure.

Veronica's eyes roam the small space. The usual health posters cover the walls: the reproductive system, birth control options, first aid, and circulation system. To the left of Veronica's chair the desktop attaches to the corner, its' surface littered with manila folders, a clipboard, glass jars containing cotton balls and tongue depressors, and a stethoscope. A wall-mounted magazine holder hangs near the door.

"I'll be back in a bit." Carolann flashes Logan another dimpled smile before exiting the room.

"Dude!" Duncan says, once the door closes behind her. "Did you see…?"

Logan's grin is cocky. "Yeah, I saw it."

"I don't get it," Duncan laughs. "You're not  _that_  great looking."

"I'm afraid America disagrees with you, man. They like me. They  _really_  like me."

Veronica rolls her eyes, but nobody notices. Logan hasn't even glanced her way.

Dr. Tony bustles into room minutes later, wearing glasses that only make him more attractive. He stares down at the clipboard in his hands for a moment before glancing up.

"Tony Loomis." He reaches out to shake Duncan's hand. "You wouldn't remember me, but you were here overnight."

"Duncan Kane, nice to meet you."

"Hello, Veronica," Tony says, his eyes roaming over her, and lingering on her legs.

"Hi," she answers, her guard coming up.

_So, Logan was right after all._

She glances over at the know-it-all, expecting him to be in a huff over the Tony's ogling, but he appears bored and detached.

Tony's face displays the disappointment Veronica keeps hidden from her own. Of course, their minor rivalry had never been about her, only two alpha males having a pissing contest, and Logan doesn’t want to play anymore.

"Well, we should get this started." Tony peeks out into the hallway. "Come with me, Duncan," he says, finding the coast clear.

The door closes behind them with an audible click.

Veronica can think of a million places she would rather be right now other than the oppressive atmosphere of this room. Back in Neptune, perhaps, scrubbing the word 'slut' off her locker. Anything would be preferable to this tension.

To pass the time, she examines the birth control poster, while Logan seems to be fascinated with the muscular and skeletal system posters.

_And I'm fascinated with his muscular system._

Maybe a good argument is what they need.

"Logan—"

He holds up a hand to silence her. "Not now, Veronica," he says in a monotone.

"Fine!" she snaps, standing and stomping the three steps to the hanging magazine rack.

_Let's see. Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan, and…Cosmopolitan._

Reaching for the most recent issue, Veronica drops into her chair with a loud exhale. She angrily flips through the first 45 pages of advertisements, without actually processing anything.

The click of the doorknob alerts her to Carolann's return.

"Finally," she says, "The office is empty, and I want to hear all about your adventures."

"Adventures?" Veronica says, "We drive really fast, and a lot of people want to beat us up. That's about it."

"Aww, I think you're selling yourself short," Carolann glances around the room. "So Duncan's already in with Tony? That was quick."

Logan smiles at her, turning on the charm. "Yeah, although  _I'm_  probably the one who needs medical attention. Duncan slept like a baby for days. I've been beaten up repeatedly by meth heads and biker gangs. You should check me for cracked ribs." He motions as if to take off his shirt.

"Oh, you are a smooth one," Carolann grins at him. "Unfortunately, I can't help you there. I'm not a nurse. Yet."

"Well...you told Duncan you needed practice…" Logan offers, all but batting his lashes at her.

Veronica clenches her hands together to keep herself from lobbing the nearby clipboard at his head.

Carolann's demeanor alters, perhaps realizing Logan and Veronica aren't as coupled-up as America presumes.

"So…you and Veronica…?" Carolann asks, looking back and forth between them.

Veronica opens her mouth, but can't find any words.

Logan has no such problem. "Nope," he says, and the way he pops the 'p' stings - like a slap to Veronica's face.

"Oh…" Carolann almost blushes. "Well then…I don't suppose…"

"What?"

"...Um…Would you consider getting something to eat with me later?" she asks Logan. Veronica infers from her shy tone that she’s not in the habit of asking guys out.

"Yeah. Sure. Why not?" Logan responds.

"Um…Logan?" Veronica interrupts, her voice practically dripping with venom. "Do you really think it's a good idea to be going on a date while we're running from the law?"

Logan's eyes lock onto hers in challenge. "Are you asking me not to go, Veronica?"

"No, of course not. If you want to make a stupid mistake, who am I to stop you?"

"Didn't think so," Logan says, and his hard eyes tell her she’s just failed a test.

"Don't worry," Carolann says, apparently not picking-up on the undercurrents. "We won't stray too far. We can even go someplace with dim lighting."

"I'll bet. You do realize we're leaving the state the day after tomorrow, right? And Logan's coming too." Veronica asks. "At least, I  _assume_  he is. This can't possibly go anywhere. Plus, he's underage."

"It's just dinner, Veronica," Carolann laughs. "And I'm only eighteen, myself. I promise, I'll get him back to you in one piece."

"Actually, three pieces works much better for me," Veronica mutters.

Carolann arranges to pick Logan up later at the motel, and then slips out of the room.

Veronica accidentally rips two pages while flipping through the magazine, and has to force herself to take a deep breath and relax. Logan can not be allowed to know he'd gotten to her.

_Has he become even better looking in the last half hour?_

Okay. She needs to get her mind off the stupid boy. She commits to reading the next article she comes across, regardless of its content. With luck, it will be an engaging story about powerful women changing the world.

Flip...Versace ad...Flip...Calvin Klein ad...Flip...Givenchy perfume ad...Flip… _Oh hell…_

Veronica sneaks a glance at Logan. He can't possibly see through the magazine, right? She angles her body to prevent him from sneaking up and peek over her shoulder -  _as if he would even be inclined to_  - and sets to reading: _'_ _Twenty ways to turn him to Jello using only your mouth._

_This should be...um...enlightening._

She feels her face heating at some of the racier suggestions. Who is she kidding? This is an instructional article for oral sex, it’ all racy.

Were she to believe this story, the ubiquitous 'he' would become a quivering gelatinous desert served in hospitals if she ran her tongue there and there and there.

Lilly had often tortured Veronica with discussions of oral sex, but she had never mentioned there being an art to the process.

 

_"It's not as gross as you'd think, Veronica," Lilly had said. "Especially with Logan. I actually love blowing Logan."_

_"I so don't want to hear this!" Veronica protested._

_"No, I'm serious," Lilly had laughed, counting out her arguments on her fingers. "One, he's super clean. To the point where I think he gets that thing dry-cleaned after every use. Two, he will agree to anything - absolutely anything - when you're down on your knees in front of him. Three, his orgasm face. Veronica, you have never seen anything hotter. He's fucking gorgeous when he comes. And trust me, that's rare for a guy. Four, and most importantly, when he reciprocates - and he almost always reciprocates - you just lay back and thank God and the Universe that you were ever born."_

_"That is so gross!" Veronica had responded, covering her face in embarrassment._

_"That's only because you're so sexually repressed, Veronica. You know…" she said, thoughtfully, "Logan could so help you out with that."_

_"Oh. My. God. Lilly. I do NOT need your boyfriend to 'cure' me of my so-called repression."_

_"Ex-boyfriend," Lilly corrected. "We're over for good. And it doesn't look like my brother is making any progress there. Trust me, Logan would be happy to help. I can teach you exactly how to seduce him. Start with kissing the very top of his jaw, right under his ear—"_

_"LILLY!"_

_"Fine, Veronica. I'll drop it." Lilly's tinkling laugh had echoed across the pool area. "For now."_

 

Veronica wonders now - not for the first time - if Lilly had known all along of her secret feelings for Logan. She’d tried her hardest to hide them, but Lilly had always been good at ferreting out the truth.

Now, as Veronica continues reading the article, her cheeks burn even hotter, when she realizes she's cast Logan as her scene partner in her mental rehearsals.

Why is she even reading this? She is not planning to have sex with anybody. There are no anatomical pictures, and she has no idea what this magical vein you’re supposed to lavish with attention even looks like.

She wonders if Logan would be willing to whip it out for strictly academic purposes. Highly doubtful, with the mood he’s in.

_I don't need to know this information. I've already killed the possibility of being with Logan, and after those kisses today...he's probably ruined me for any other guy._

She slams the magazine closed in frustration, and the white address label at the bottom catches her attention: Carolann Williams.

_Of course! Carolann probably knows all about turning men to jello with her mouth._

For the briefest moment, Veronica considers memorizing Carolann's address for revenging purposes.

_Revenge for what? Stealing 'my man'? Logan doesn't belong to me. I made sure of that._

She angrily crams the magazine back into the empty slot, accidentally dislodging the rack from the hardware, but catching it before it hits the floor. Seething, she fumbles, trying to fit the screw heads into the tiny holes.

A pair of hands reach around her grasping the magazine rack. Startled, she steps back in surprise, coming up against Logan's chest. Almost instantly, his warmth engulfs her and his scent captivates her. She wants to melt into him - starts allowing herself to - when he calmly reattaches the rack to the wall on his first try and steps away, causing Veronica to stumble back a step.

_Stupid Veronica!_

"Thanks," she mumbles.

Logan shrugs already ignoring her and angling his body away.

_Has his nose always been that perfect?_

Has it been only this morning when Veronica had sat on Logan's lap, while he'd picked flowers for her? She can’t believe things have gotten this bad so fast.

She drops heavily back into her chair, and closes her eyes. Emotionally drained, she doesn’t even try to fight away the images rushing forward to play on the movie screen of her mind. The way Logan had looked at her right before he'd kissed her…his mouth against her throat…the warmth of his hands through her thin shorts, as he'd slid them over her butt…the feel of them as they ran along her bare legs…his hardness against her center, first as he'd pressed her to the wall, and then in the backseat of Peggy's truck...that shivery feeling…the kisses…OHMIGOD, the kisses…

Her eyes fly open at the sound of the doorknob turning, catching Logan staring at her with an intensity that nearly takes her breath away, before he quickly flicks his eyes away, going blank.

Duncan shuffles into the room. "Hey," he offers them a small smile. "Clean bill of health."

"Great to hear," Logan says.

"He couldn't write me any scrips though,"

"How badly do you need them?" Veronica asks.

Duncan considers, "I think I'm ready to give up the pills now. It's already been over a week. Dr. Tony said there may be some side effects from going cold turkey, though, so if you see me hallucinating…," he laughs anxiously.

"Sure, we'll just strait-jacket you, and pretend nothing is wrong." Logan says. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, we'd better hurry off," Veronica snipes. "Logan has to get ready for his date,"

"Seriously?" Duncan asks.

Logan shrugs and grins, and Duncan gives him a high-five. "Echolls magic strikes again."

Veronica imagines possessing laser beam eyes and lighting both of their pants on fire.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Motel Office**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Veronica fumes as she paces back and forth in Peggy's kitchen waiting for delivery from the local Italian restaurant. "And then? Then he calls up his scumbag friend in Neptune and puts money on  _himself_  in the pool!"

"What pool?" Peggy asks.

"The 'who gets Veronica' pool. I'm not even sure if it's about sex or actually dating me, but there is a Duncan -vs. - Logan pool back at school, and Logan is so convinced he's going to win, that he bet ten thousand dollars.  _After_ I told him it could never happen again."

Veronica pouts when Peggy's eyes crinkle in amusement. "You know Peggy, I'm beginning to think that you like Logan more than me."

Peggy laughs heartily. "Let's just say I get Logan. I have his number. He reminds me of Tony in some ways. Would you like to sit?"

"I'm too keyed up to sit. What could he possibly be thinking? This isn't some stupid teen movie where the jerk makes a bet about the shy girl before discovering her true inner beauty and falling in love with her." Despite her earlier refusal, Veronica slides into the chair to Peggy's left.

"Of course not." Peggy rises and walks to the freezer, returning a moment later with two pints of Ben & Jerry's and two spoons. Her caftan this evening is black with leopard print trim, and her hair is pinned up in a chignon.

"It's not like he even needs the money," Veronica says, examining Peggy's offerings and choosing the Chunky Monkey. "Thanks!"

She pauses from her rant for a moment to observe the official lid-removal ritual - that magical moment of suction you have to release before uncovering the treasures inside a pint of ice cream.

"He just wanted to be a jackass and hurt me," she continues around a mouthful of bananas and chocolate.

"Honey, he wasn't trying to hurt you," Peggy says, her chair scraping the floor as she resumes sitting next to Veronica.

"Then what do you think he was doing?"

"I think he was throwing down a gauntlet."

"Why?"

"He was daring you to be able to resist him. That must have been one hell of a kiss,"

Veronica groans. "You have no idea, Peggy. It was..."

"That good?"

"Better. I cannot even put into words what it was like. It was like every molecule in my body was silently screaming: 'FINALLY!'"

"So what are you doing here with me? Go talk to him. Better yet, kiss him some more."

Veronica grunts. "He's on a date."

"A date?" Peggy chokes. "You guys were gone for what? An hour and a half? And in that time he managed to kiss you senseless, and make a date with another girl."

"Yep! That's Logan for ya. Any warm body will do."

"So that's the real reason you're so upset right now."

"He's not my boyfriend. He can date whomever he chooses," Veronica has to force herself not to speak through clenched teeth.

Peggy's expression is thoughtful. "Veronica, I'm not going to offer you any advice, because I know you're a stubborn girl, and you won't take it."

Veronica offers a small apologetic smile.

"What I can do," Peggy continues "Is give you a glimpse into the male mind. I feel distinctly qualified having three older brothers, a late husband and a son, all of whom were incredibly good-looking, and knew it."

"Like Logan…" Veronica sighs.

"Yes, like Logan," Peggy agrees. "Although Logan has grown up in the public eye, so he probably attracts even more women."

"Like flies to honey."

"So I imagine he takes it for granted?" Peggy asks. "That there will always be another girl to step in and fill the vacuum?"

"Is this supposed to be you making me feel better?" Veronica asks. "Cause it's kind of not working."

Peggy chuckles. "What I'm saying is...for a boy who could literally choose from hundreds of girls—"

"Probably thousands now, after all of this media coverage," Veronica says.

"Okay, for a boy who could choose from thousands of girls, you, my dear, are the one he's willing to take a beating for. You are the one he was willing to leave it all behind for."

"That was all for Duncan,"

"Do you honestly believe that?"

Veronica looks down at the table. "No. Sometimes I think it is about me. But if he cared so much about me, why is he out with another girl?"

"Your rejection hurt him, Veronica."

"So he needs to comfort himself on top of another girl?"

"In a nutshell, yes." Peggy answers. "What do women do when they've been hurt?"

"Work 14 hour days?"

"I said women, Veronica, not machines," Peggy laughs. "Look down,"

Veronica catches her drift. "We eat chocolate and ice cream."

"Exactly, women drown their sorrows with food. Men do it with sex."

"But that's stupid. Am I supposed to just accept it as inevitable? ' _Boys will be boys_ _'_ and all that, with a wink and a nudge?"

"Of course it's stupid. I'm not condoning their behavior, but it is what it is. What can you do about it?"

"Shake my fists at the heavens and rail over the injustice of it all?" Veronica asks with a raised eyebrow and an accompanying fist shake.

Peggy snorts. "Let me know how that works for you."

"But random sex can't possibly fix anything," Veronica says.

"Nope. No more than ice cream."

"But it's all so…meaningless."

"I never said it was right. It's just…their brains are wired differently than ours."

"But what about love?"

"That's the difference between men and women. It's a real shame, but from a young age, society teaches girls that sex is something that only takes place within a loving committed relationship. We even find ourselves trying to create love where there is none, to justify our decisions to satisfy our sexual urges."

"Unless you're Lilly Kane,"

"Right, she sounds like an exception to the rule. Boys, however, feel no such need to justify their urges. To them, sex can be recreational. Even therapeutic."

"Which just proves what I said before," Veronica says. "Any warm body will do."

"You're right and you're wrong. Yes, a man can find sexual release with any warm body, but…whether you're a man or a woman, sex is always going to be more pleasurable and intense with somebody with whom you have an emotional connection – it adds in an extra dimension."

"So I can comfort myself with the idea that at least Logan is having lousy sex tonight?"

"I wouldn't be so quick to assume that Logan is having sex."

"Why else would he agree to go out with some girl he'd only known for a few minutes and will never see again after tomorrow."

"You hurt him when you rejected him," Peggy says.

"I didn't mean to."

"We never do," Peggy smiles gently. "But right now, this other girl is probably fawning all over him."

"They always do,"

"She's probably telling him how wonderful and perfect he is. All of the things he'd much rather hear from you."

"Trust me. Logan doesn't want me fawning over him. He detests phoniness"

"Veronica, men are insecure. Even Logan. Especially Logan. For all of his swagger, I don't think he's nearly as confident as he pretends to be,"

"No," Veronica says, quietly. "He's surprisingly sensitive sometimes."

"You know," Peggy starts, her face clouding over as if something is bothering her. "I've had a couple opportunities to chat privately with Logan over the past two days, and there's something dark going on with that one."

"Dark how?" Veronica asks. Is Peggy implying that Logan is about to turn evil again?

Peggy's face shows signs of an internal debate. She seems to be weighing carefully whether to risk bringing something up. "What do you know about Logan's home life?"

"Um…A-List father, B-List mother and a C-List sister. His mom can be pretty self-involved, but she loves him. He tolerates his sister, and seems to have a love/hate relationship with his dad. Why?"

"It's just a sense of...do you think there could be some…emotional… abuse going on there?"

"Emotional abuse?" Veronica repeats, stunned. "Um…wow. Not from Lynn. She always seemed to dote on Logan – at least when she notices he’s around. Maybe a bit of neglect there. From Aaron? Yeah, I'd say it's highly probable. He's always made my skin crawl, for some reason."

"I suspected as much."

"You got that out of two or three conversations with him?" Veronica asks.

"When you've counseled as many teenagers as I have, you get a feel for this kind of thing. I get the sense from Logan that he's never felt like anything other than a disappointment."

"He's mentioned that before."

"It didn't feel like typical teen angst to me. It felt like deeply ingrained rhetoric. And stubborn boys like Logan tend to self-fulfill those prophesies."

"What do you mean?"

"I imagine he acts out. A lot. If he's going to be a constant disappointment, he's going to be the ultimate disappointment."

"That sounds a lot like Logan," Veronica says.

"It's also a defense mechanism."

"How so?"

"Well, many abused kids – the more introverted ones – have horrible self-esteem. They feel that they have some fatal flaw that makes them unworthy of love and basic human kindness. Then there are the extroverted types like Logan. As long as they're acting out and getting in trouble – As long as they're 'earning' their punishments – they never have to closely examine those feelings of inadequacy.  _Mom made me kneel on rice for three hours because I got a 'D' on my report card and deserved it. Dad blackened my eye because I left my bike in the driveway and it flattened his tires. They do it because they love me._ Those types tend to escalate with the rebellious acts, in fear that the day may come when they won't be able to point to their own behavior to excuse that of their parents."

Veronica takes a moment to digest this information. If she were to believe the rumors, Logan has spent the previous year committing some extreme escalation.

"I imagine that's a small part of what he's doing right now with the date thing." Peggy says gently. "Of course, you would never emotionally abuse him."

"Never!" Veronica insists.

"But now, following his usual patterns, he can point to the fact that he screwed up his chances of being with you, and avoid his subconscious telling him he's unlovable and unworthy."

Veronica rubs at her forehead in frustration. "Logan is lovable," she says, her voice barely audible. "Almost too lovable, I think. I would never treat him that way."

Peggy covers one of Veronica's hands with her own. "Does he know any other way to be treated?"

At Veronica's questioning glance, she elaborates. "What was his relationship with Lilly like?"

Veronica freezes, a look of panic coming over her face.

"It's okay, hon. You don't have to talk about it," Peggy reassures her.

Veronica allows the silence to linger while she conducts an internal post-mortem on Logan and Lilly's relationship. Finally she speaks.

"Lilly emotionally abused him," she whispers, and it almost kills her to say it. To think of her beloved Lilly in the same light as the creepy Aaron Echolls is nauseating. "I don't think she meant to. She really loved him. I know she loved him. The thing is, Lilly didn't believe in monogamy. Logan did. Lilly tried to manage his expectations, constantly telling him that they weren't a forever thing. Logan would just try harder. As if he could get her to change her mind if he just loved her hard enough. She would cheat on him constantly, and then blame it on his smothering love. She'd break up with him, and he would sleep with anything with a pulse. Then she'd reel him back in again. She couldn't love him the way he needed, but nobody else could have him either."

"That sounds like emotional abuse," Peggy says gently.

Having started to rant, Veronica finds herself unable to stop. "Everything he did annoyed her. I don't even understand why she was with him. He was too hyper. He fiddled with things too much. He smothered her with the affectionate kisses. The hugs. The touches. He was too jealous. Too dramatic."

"How did that make you feel?" Peggy asks.

"It pissed me off, to be honest." Veronica snaps, shocking herself with her own honesty. "I never witnessed this insane jealousy she spoke of. And I thought the dramatics and the twisting and twirling and spinning were endearing, not annoying."

Peggy gives her a knowing smile.

"In fact, lately, since we started this fake fiancé thing, I've been on the other end of those affectionate kisses and hugs and touches. And they're not smothering, they're heavenly. They're like a magic balm for whatever ails you. My best friend was a damn fool who wouldn't know a good thing if you smacked her in the face with it."

Peggy raises an eyebrow ironically, and Veronica realized what she’s just said.

"But it's different now," she rushes in to amend. "He's not the same person he used to be. I'm not the same person I used to be. I can't trust him not to hurt me again."

"I think that's what he needs most from you."

"My trust?"

"Yes. To the boy who only knows how to be a disappointment."

"How do you give your trust to somebody who hasn't earned it?" Veronica asks.

"That's not how trust works, Veronica. Nobody can earn your trust. Name the people you trust."

"My dad," Veronica answers without hesitation.

Peggy waited.

"That was it," Veronica said. "Just my dad."

"That's no way to live, Veronica," Peggy says, sadly. "How did your dad earn your trust?"

"I don't know," Veronica says. "I've just always trusted him. He's always been there for me."

"How about your mom? Or Lilly? Or even Duncan and Logan before everything changed. Did you trust all of them?"

"Yes, all of them."

"And how did they earn your trust back then? Did you test them? Did you give them a trust final exam?"

"Of course not," Veronica snickers. "I just trusted them. And then every single one of them let me down in some way."

"That's tragic, but do you see what I'm getting at? There is no 'earning' trust. There is no measurement, or multiple-choice quiz to let you know when somebody is worthy of your trust. You need to give it away on faith and then hope that the person will live up to your belief in them."

"What if I don't have any faith in my faith?" Veronica jokes, but not really. "It's been shattered too many times."

"Baby steps, Veronica," Peggy smiles. She covers Veronica's hand with her own again, and Veronica realizes that she’s stopped flinching when Peggy touches her.

"I think I might trust you, Peggy," Veronica laughs nervously.

"See what I mean? You have no empirical evidence to support that I'm trustworthy. You're going on faith."

"I guess I am," Veronica smiles softly. "And I want to have faith in Logan."

"I'll share you a phenomenon I've observed. When you put your faith in people who have no faith in themselves, those are the ones who will move heaven and earth to be worthy of your trust. I've seen it in so many relationships. Boss/Employee. Parent/Child. Husband/Wife. Self-fulfilling prophecies can work in a positive manner as well."

"Like Duncan," Veronica says, pieces clicking into place. "Duncan has always had faith in Logan."

"And there's nothing Logan wouldn't do for Duncan, right?"

"Exactly," Veronica answers. "You're right. It's a self-fulfilling prophesy."

"You need to tread very carefully around that relationship," Peggy says. "They need each other as much as they need you."

"I know," Veronica admits. "Even more so."

"The trust needs to go three ways. If you and Logan do decide to pursue a romantic relationship, you'll need to include Duncan. Sneaking around would be a very bad idea."

"Hold up!" Veronica laughs. "It was one kiss! Okay, maybe more like a dozen, but all at once. Duncan does not need to know about that."

"Do you honestly think this is going to end with just one kiss?" Peggy asks.

"Oh stop it." Veronica grumbles. "What were we talking about before we went down this tangent. I believe you were telling me about the male mind."

"The male mind, huh? Well…Men really only require one thing to make them happy."

"Sex?"

Peggy laughs. "Okay, two things."

"Sex and beer?"

"Sex and validation." Peggy corrects. "They need to know that you think they're handsome, and smart, and strong and brave. Most of all, they need to know that you appreciate them. Praise them for the little things, and they'll keep wanting to do more things for you. You could literally lead them around by the nose."

"I would never—"

"Of course you wouldn't, Veronica. With great power, comes great responsibility." Peggy grins.

"All of this ego stroking sounds pretty one-sided," Veronica says.

"But it's not. When a guy cares for a girl, he wants to take care of her and protect her. They're genetically programmed to protect."

"I don't need anybody to take care of me or protect me."

"I disagree with you there. You would never have gotten away from either of those Fitzpatricks without Logan, but even if your life was more…uneventful, his desire to keep you safe would be coming from a place of sincerity, whether you felt it was warranted or not. Think of it this way. Showing your appreciation? Such a high payout for such a small cost."

"Do you really think men are that needy?" Veronica asks. "That we need to praise their every move like puppies being house-trained?"

"When you walked in here tonight, what was the first thing you said?" Peggy asks.

"Um…Logan Echolls is a blight upon the face of humanity?"

"That was the second thing." Peggy chuckles, "The first thing you said was that my hair looked pretty."

"Oh, well it does. It's very elegant."

"Thank you. See, it comes natural to us to praise other women."

"Sure, for the most part," Veronica says.

"As women, we don't hesitate to call men out for being knuckleheads, right?"

"Right…"

"Then why do we find it so hard to praise them when they exhibit desired behavior?"

Veronica reflects on that for a moment. "You've got me there," she finally answers.

"Men experience a lot more pressure than we do. Needless, self-inflicted pressure of course, but pressure nonetheless." Peggy says.

"What kind of pressure?"

"Nonstop pressure to perform. To be the best – toughest, strongest, most successful, most dominant. Fathers instill it in their sons practically from birth. So when they find a girl who sincerely accepts them exactly as they are without being obsequious, they'll do just about anything to keep her."

"So you're saying things would be better between us – Logan and I – if I verbalized how much I appreciate him?"

"As long as it's done with complete sincerity, yes. I think you're right. Logan would probably smell phoniness from a mile away."

"So, for example, when he brings me coffee, perfectly made, without me having to ask…?"

"Sincerely show him your gratitude."

"And when he runs around cleaning up after us like a housewife with OCD?"

"You get the picture…" Peggy smiles.

Veronica nods, a soft smile taking shape on her face, but then disappearing as suddenly as it starts.

"But how do I get past tonight. Him being with another girl?"

"I'm afraid that you're going to have to get over it," Peggy answers gently. "You told me yourself that you offered him no reason to even hope that he might have a shot with you."

"I'm just confused. I told him I couldn't lose him. I don't know how we could make things work romantically without risking our relationship."

"Honey, you have the right to take as much time as you need to figure things out in your head,"

"I know."

"You don't, however, have the right to expect Logan to wait around for you to get your head together."

Veronica nods, sadly.

"Unless…"

"Unless what?" Veronica asks, willing to grasp at straws.

"Unless you ask him to wait for you. I bet you he would agree if you explained your concerns to him."

"But that wouldn't be fair," Veronica protests. "What if I can't ever get past the fact that he picked Lilly over me?"

"Why is that such a problem for you? It was years ago. People grow and change."

"I guess I'm afraid I would always feel like the back-up plan. The runner-up. I'd always wonder in the back of my mind if he would rather be with her."

"But he's had other girlfriends. Do you feel like the runner-up to them?"

"No. He's had closure with all of them. If he wanted to be with them right now, he would be."

"But Lilly died, so he could never have that type of closure,"

"Exactly,"

"I can understand where that might be a sticking point for you," Peggy says. "You're going to have to weigh the risks."

"What risks?"

"What's scarier to you? Giving your heart to somebody who may still be in love with his dead ex-girlfriend, or watching him move on with somebody else who doesn't have the same hang-ups. He won't wait around forever, Veronica."

Veronica looks down and realizes she'd emptied the ice cream carton. She glances at Peggy in embarrassment.

"It's fine. I knew you needed ice cream the moment I saw you this evening."

The bell on the door of the motel office interrupts their conversation. Veronica hands Peggy a twenty, and she disappears from the kitchen. A moment later, she returns with two boxes and the tantalizing aroma of Italian food.

"You've given me a lot to think about, Peggy." Veronica says, standing and taking the steaming hot boxes from her. "I'd better get back to the room to make sure the ex-boyfriend hasn't tranced out staring at the wall."

"Don't wait up for Logan, Veronica."

"What? Why?"

"Whatever does or does not happen on his date, you really don't need to know. You'll only be torturing yourself. Just remember, when he leaves here, he's leaving with you."

"Fine. No obsessing over Logan having sex with Carolann. Got it."

"Wait, did you just say Carolann?" Peggy asks.

"Yeah, I suppose you know her?"

"Yes, she's my God Daughter. You have nothing to fear, Veronica. Carolann can be a little star-struck at times, but she has a great head on her shoulders. She would never sleep with anybody who would be out of her life the next day. Trust me,"

For the first time all night, Veronica feels as if she can breathe. "Thank you, for that."

"I'm glad I could reassure you this time. But that doesn't mean the  _next_ girl won't sleep with him. You need to think long and hard about whether you're going to allow that to happen."

"So I assume it's safe to say you're Team Logan?" Veronica asks wryly.

"Like I already told you, when I see you two together, I see a love story about to happen. But Duncan is a nice boy as well. I hope he finds somebody who can make him happy."

Veronica nods, "Me too."

"Does the idea of Duncan moving on bother you?"

Veronica thinks about it for a moment. "Not in a jealousy sort of way. Only because I  _still_ don't know why I wasn't enough for him, so I would probably constantly wonder what she had that I was missing."

"You know what I'm going to say," Peggy says.

"I know…ask him. Eventually. When the time is right and he needs something from me."

Peggy nods. "Communication is the key to everything. With  _both_ of those boys. Tell Duncan to feel free to stop by in the morning for a real breakfast."

"Will do. See ya later. Thanks for the ice cream. And the wisdom."

"Anytime, honey," Peggy smiles, warmly.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

She knows Logan is gone before she turns the doorknob. She's always had an...awareness...of him, for lack of a better word, and she’s pretty sure it goes both ways. Even in the largest of crowds, she can pick him out within seconds, often able to  _feel_ his eyes upon her.

"Hey," Duncan glances up from his laptop as she opens the door. "You just missed Logan. He headed out a few minutes ago."

"Oh." Veronica realizes she’s scowling, but doesn’t care enough to pretend otherwise. "As you ordered," she says, wrinkling her nose in distaste and handing Duncan one of the boxes and a packet of silverware, "Pasta Primavera."

"You seem annoyed. Are you afraid Logan might get us caught?"

"It's a distinct possibility," she answers, although she trusts Logan to be smart enough to lay low. He's learned a lot about subterfuge since this ordeal started. "Hey. Tell me you're not online,"

"No...Just playing solitaire. Forty Thieves," Duncan answers, closing his laptop and opening his box of takeout.

"Okay. We can't risk being traced," Veronica says. "If you need to go online, use my computer."

"Yup, Logan gave me the same warning."

_He did? Of course he did._

Veronica's lasagna is absolute perfection. Peggy is proving to be remarkably helpful with her restaurant recommendations.

"Would you like my garlic bread?" Duncan asks.

"Are you kidding me?" Veronica laughs, snatching the foil-wrapped packet out of his hands. "Who turns down garlic bread?"

"Well...you know, all the butter...and cheese," Duncan shrugs.

Veronica shakes her head, and goes back to work on her lasagna. Despite the quality of her food, Veronica finds herself unable to eat more than four or five bites, and she blames Logan and his stupid date.

Miserable, she stashes her leftovers in the mini fridge under the coffee bar.

"I'm going to sign online for a bit," Veronica says, shooting off a quick text to Weevil with the code words, before reaching for her laptop and logging on to her VPN.

Only one email waits in her inbox, but she has to grin and open it immediately with a sender named PapaBear04.

From: PapaBear04@yahoo.com

Subject: Surprise!

To: vm911@gmail.com

Supafly,

A certain gumshoe contacted me today and hooked me up with the 411 on how to contact you on the D.L. I have to admit to being pretty stoked to be able to get in touch with you again, but just to be safe, I'm not going to use any real names.

Girl, when your video came on the news last night, I was so relieved to know for sure you're still alive and doing well.

This entire town has done lost its mind. News vans are parked everywhere waiting for even a hint of a story. The 09er Mom Brigade is picketing outside of The River Stix every day. Visiting fashion designers, interview girls you wouldn't be caught dead speaking to. Oh, and they're opening two new Starbucks stores.

But if the town is insane, school is certifiable.

Let us start with the pool. The 09ers set up this ridiculous pool over which boy you're going to hook up with, and these crazy rich kids are betting thousands. Yes, you heard that right. THOUSANDS! Obviously, The Prince is in the lead, but since you put out the video, some people are switching to Team Psychotic Jackass (henceforth to be known as PJ).

Clearly, you would never hook up with the guy who bashed in your headlights, right? Right? Reassure me here, girl. I'll have money riding on Prince Charming once I get paid on Friday.

People tell me I don't understand your history with PJ, and even that short guy in leather (AKA Mr. Duct Tape) – who was actually present during the headlight bashing – seems to think you and PJ are a sure thing.

If the idea of you and the Jackass ever coupling wasn't surreal enough, I took over your case for you, and helped that miniature copy of PJ locate his papa, who - get this - is now a mama. Yep, she's been visiting his place of employment for over a year as a woman, and he never had a clue. He took the news pretty hard at first, but seems to be coming around. He's a nice kid, and I've taken him a bit under my wing. He's Team PJ - says because you'll dump him more quickly than the Prince, and come home, and then he'll have another shot with you. Secretly, I think it's because the Jackass is  his  style icon.

Finally, the winner of the 'You never saw this coming' award: everywhere I turn, I think I'm seeing you. The girls are all dressing like you now, they all had their hair cut like yours, and Ms. Pirate Points herself, is leading the pack. That was not a typo. The Wicked Witch of SoCal has become a Supafly clone, as are the Gossip Queen, and Pinky McVespa. They're all pretending to be good friends with you, and even Yours Truly is suddenly popular. The jocks seem to like having me around, and I may be misreading things, but I think several candidates are auditioning for the role of Mama Bear. Any thoughts/opinions on Snow White's understudy? How about the one The Prince left behind?

Speaking of ones left behind, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your own Romeo has been taking comfort in Pinky's anorexic arms. Guess PJ saw that one coming. Somehow, I don't think you'll be too broken up about that. You did, stop him from kissing you, after all. Your Spidey-senses must have been telling you something.

I've been sick with worry about you, girl, so I'm relieved that those boys have got your back. Still shaking my head over you and PJ being friends. You had better keep him in line, like I know you can. Is there anything I can do personally to help bring you home? Should I be out there picketing The River Stix with Celeste and the Socialites? Should I start a petition? For anything? Write a letter to the editor of the paper? Give me instructions, and I'll follow them.

Stay safe, stay smart, and stay sane.

The world would be a cruel place, if I never got to see you again.

Papa Bear

P.S. Watch for me on the news tonight. That reporter came back for another reaction interview.

 

The feelings Wallace's email elicit are bittersweet.

Despite knowing she should hate them, a hundred times over the past year, Veronica has imagined having her boys back - on her own terms.

Moments when Duncan hadn't looked right through her. Moments when she'd caught Logan with his mask down, staring at her as if he'd missed her as much as she missed him.

Those were the moments when Veronica had ached for them. To have them back in her life - Duncan to support her, and Logan to challenge her and make her laugh.

But in her daydreams, she'd never had to leave behind her one true friend in order to regain the two wishy-washy ones. And did she actually even have them back? Things are tense with Duncan, and tense doesn’t even begin to describe what’s happening with Logan. God, she misses loyal, uncomplicated, Wallace.

"Who would be considered Meg Manning's understudy?" she asks Duncan.

He glances up from his veggie pasta. "Um...I think Kimmy, why?"

"My friend Wallace emailed me, and apparently, he's become quite popular with the ladies. He's trying to pick between her and..." Veronica trailed off.

"Her and who?"

"Um...Shelly Pomroy," Veronica answers guiltily.

"Oh...He should probably go with Shelly. She's a nice girl. Kimmy gives off that creepy fatal attraction kind of vibe," he resumes eating.

Veronica's eyes narrow dangerously. "You don't have a problem with that?"

"No. Why would I?" Duncan asks.

"Right. Silly me. I forgot. Girlfriends are disposable."

Duncan winces, realizing his mistake too late. "I didn't mean it like that."

Veronica holds up a hand to cut him off. "Save it," she says.

She begins typing her response.

From: vm911@gmail.com

Subject: Re: Surprise!

To: PapaBear04@yahoo.com

Papa Bear,

Your email was a ray of sunshine in an emotionally exhausting day. I can't remember the last time I smiled so hard. The day Liam Fitzpatrick is safely behind bars will be the day I can finally come back home. There is absolutely nothing you can do to make that happen any sooner. Stay away from the Fitzpatricks. Very far away.

You will be happy to learn the past two days were relatively uneventful - at least danger-wise. Oh...except for a run-in with a certain former biker who steals credit cards and Vespa riding girlfriends. Things turned a bit violent for a moment, when he had his boys grab and beat-up the Jackass, but my friendship with Mr. Duct Tape got us out of that one.

We've become close with a motel owner, with a heart of gold. I'll be truly heartbroken to say goodbye to her, as she already feels more like a mother to me than my own mom does. Or even like my own personal Yoda. I keep waiting for her next words to be: ' Force, you must use '. Maybe connections like these last a lifetime, though. Much like you and I.

You absolutely must attach photographic evidence of my clones in your next email - especially Ms. Pirate Points. I think that would just about make my life complete.

Prince Charming endorses his leftovers for the role of Mama Bear, but warns that The Understudy might be a bit...um...cuckoo for cocoa puffs.

Do not - I repeat, DO NOT - bet any money on Prince Charming. It's not going to happen. Ever.

What I'm about to admit is confidential, embarrassing, and can never ever be repeated. I'm ONLY telling you because I don't want to you to lose your money.

I've kinda sorta gone to the dark side and embraced evil. Literally. And oh, what an embrace it was.

As of this morning's steamy and extensive lip-lock, Supafly is Team Not-Exactly-Psychotic Jackass.

Hey! STOP SILENTLY YELLING AT ME!

Don't ask me how it happened. I wasn't looking for this. I'm still trying my hardest to resist his pull, but yesterday, he mentioned the words 'Collision Course', and they struck a chord with me. Maybe we've been headed in this direction since the moment we met.

I'm not saying I believe in fate. We create our own fate. But I think that perhaps fate and inevitability are two very different things.

Of course, I would never admit any of this to him. I'm not sure why I'm even admitting this to you, except that my Yoda adores the Jackass, and keeps counseling me to give him a chance. Maybe I need a little Papa Bear devil on my other shoulder to counteract her angel.

I look forward to (okay...dread) your take on this matter. I anticipate the word 'bleach' will be used.

Miss ya Papa Bear,

Supafly

P.S. Delete your browser cookies and clear your cache before logging off.

A quick check of the tracking software shows Veronica that Liam Fitzpatrick's vehicle is still parked in Irving, Texas near a strip of business class motels. Good. As she shuts down her laptop, the burner cell rings.

"Hello?" Veronica answered.

"Yo, Blondie, it's me." Weevil's voice comes over the line.

"Hey...Weevil," she sighs.

"Uh oh, I don't like the sound of that."

"I kind of have bad news for you. It appears Thumper actually is feeding information to Fitzpatrick. Liam headed straight to Irving after you set up Thumper, and he's still hovering in the area."

"Oh hell," Weevil moans, and Veronica wonders what he’s doing in that moment.

"What do bald people do when they're anxious?" she asks.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, a less...um...folically-challenged person would run their hands through their hair after receiving news like that."

"You mean Richie Rich would run his hands through his hair."

"Never mind, it doesn't matter. So anyway, I know it's bad timing, but can I ask you a favor?" Veronica asks.

"Has bad timing ever stopped you before?"

"Can you hold off on retaliating against Thumper? As soon as he knows his cover is blown, we'll lose our only ace in the hole."

"You're asking a lot girlie," Weevil growls.

"I know. I'll owe you big time."

"Right…" Weevil says, "And you'll pay up from across the country I suppose."

"I can be very resourceful," Veronica says.

"Don't I know it. Fine…I'll keep Thumper around. For now."

"Thank you." Veronica sighs in relief. "Did your cousin Ricardo tell you about Chardo?"

"What about Chardo now?" Weevil growls.

"I had a run-in with him. He wanted to snatch me to get a reward, but Logan jumped out of the truck and got between us."

Weevil chuckles. "I bet that went over real well."

"I'm glad you think it's funny," Veronica says. "He had his boys grab Logan and beat on him."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer rich boy."

"Hey, Logan was trying to protect me. And Chardo was  _still_  trying to fight for Caitlin Ford."

"That skank? You know, she's moved on to your boy toy?"

"I've heard. She's welcome to him,"

"That's the spirit. Plus, it's more um…lucrative…for me, if you aim your affection in a different direction."

Veronica groans. She’s so sick of this stupid pool, but if anybody were to profit off of her, it should at least be Wallace and Weevil.

"I'll have a little chat with Chardo," Weevil continues. "You won't have to worry about him ever again."

"Good, thanks a lot Weevil, and thanks again for holding off on the Thumper thing."

"Yeah yeah…talk to you later. Oh, and V? I twist my earring."

"Huh?"

"Instead of running my hands through my hair. Sometimes, I rub my head, too."

"Bye Weevil," Veronica laughs and hangs up the phone.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

While Veronica talks on the phone, Duncan finishes his dinner and cleans up, guilty that the takeout container will be sitting in a landfill for the next hundred years. He always tries to avoid using styrofoam, but these are extreme times.

He doesn’t want to interrupt her conversation, so he leaves the TV off - instead, flopping back on his bed to stare at the ceiling and rubbing at his chin. He'd been surprised to find a beard on his face when he'd caught his first glimpse of himself in the mirror this morning, but he kind of likes the way he looks, and thinks he’ll keep it around for a while.

It was unreal to wake-up with a five-day growth. Just yesterday - or what had felt like yesterday, he had been smooth-cheeked and sheltered. Sure, his life hadn't been perfect, but he'd had goals. Important ones, such as surviving school each day, passing English, avoiding Veronica, and preventing Logan from crossing the point of no return. His greatest challenge had been keeping his eyes off Veronica in Journalism, where the fluorescent lighting fell upon her at the perfect angle to make her hair glow like a halo.

So what if it had been a joyless existence. It had been safe and predictable. Ever the dutiful son, he followed the plan his parents laid out for him. Straight A's. Academic accolades. The perfect extra-curriculars for his résumé. Dating the daughter of the Ambassador to Belgium.

But somewhere inside, the quiet desperation has been steadily growing louder. Why else had he stopped taking the meds?

Why were his Science and Art classes the high points of his day? Why was Government class the low point? Not promising for a future politician.

And why now, after losing four days and waking up as a killer - what should essentially be hitting rock bottom - is his blood practically singing with the idea of new possibilities?

Had the comfort and security been a curse all along disguised as a blessing?

Veronica says her goodbyes, hangs up the phone and plugs it into the charger. She crosses to the mini-fridge grabbing a can of Skist. "You want anything to drink?" she calls to Duncan, idly plucking a small blue flower from a clear plastic Solo cup, bringing it to her nose, and breathing in its scent with her eyes closed.

"Sure, I'll take one of those drinks I picked up at 7-eleven," He watches her return the flower to its cup and then reach into the fridge.

As if it were toxic, Veronica holds the bottle of spinach juice away from her body - by the pads of her index finger and thumb.

"It's not going to bite you," Duncan snickers, sitting up and taking the drink. "Thanks."

"Sure." She takes a seat on her own bed, and seems at a loss for what to do with herself.

"So...this is awkward," he says with an anxious laugh.

Veronica glances up, "Just a bit," she agrees, her manner distant and aloof.

"Who would've ever thought we'd need Logan of all people between us as a buffer?"

Her eyes narrow. "I don't need Logan. For a buffer or anything else."

"My mistake."

Duncan wonders once again what Logan had said earlier to tick her off, but he doesn’t ask. The last thing he needs is to get in the middle of their tiff. They’ll probably make up in the morning. With circumstances this dire, neither can afford the luxury of grudges anymore, and if they even tried to keep it up, he might have to knock a couple heads together. Figuratively, of course.

More than once today, he’s wondered if perhaps Logan is falling for Veronica again, but his date with Dr. Tony's beautiful receptionist lays that concern to rest.

The room becomes silent, broken only by the ssssss sound of Veronica opening her soda. As each minute ticks by, Duncan's discomfort grows, until finally, he has to speak. "So...I suppose we should just have it out now."

For the first time since Duncan has woken, Veronica looks at him with interest. "You want to have it out with me?"

"Honestly? I figured I would just sit here and try to look meek, while you have it out with me. I'm prepared to be schooled." He flashes a nervous smile.

Her words take on that clipped tone, he'd become used to hearing in Journalism. "So you get to be the nice, reasonable guy, and I get to be the bitch?"

"Trust me, Veronica. At the best I come off as a coward, at the worst...?" He shudders.

_At the worst, I'm a sick fuck who got hammered and had sex with his own sister._

"You really want to have it out?"

"There is nothing I want less, but I'm guessing it's necessary if we're going to move on."

"Define move on," Veronica asks, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I'm not talking about getting back together," he reassures. "That ship has sailed. For good."

_Wow! Relief Veronica? Glad to know the idea of never being with me again is such a cause for celebration to you._

"What I meant was, you and I, able to be in the same room together without all of this awkwardness," Duncan says.

"Oh," Veronica says, more appeased.

"So...um...can we get the yelling part over with first, so I can have something to look forward to?"

"You think I can just yell on command?"

"Just throw it at me. What do you hate me for the most?" he asks, bracing himself.

"You really want to do this?"

"Yes."

Veronica swings her legs over the side of her bed and sits up to face him. "Okay, I hate you for not being man enough to break up with me to my face."

Duncan is caught off-guard. He’d been sure she would open with their one night stand at Shelly's party. "Fair enough, I'm sorry."

"Ohhh, you're sorry," Veronica says, voice dripping in sarcasm. "That makes it all better,"

He keeps his voice level as he answers. "I have no excuse, and I'm trying not to be defensive."

"How about you tell me your thought process?"

"My thought process? When it happened? I was thinking that I couldn't bear to see you hurting."

"Why did you care? You were done with me. I was dismissed. Who cares if it hurt me?"

Of course, she would view it in black and white. He has to keep in mind that she doesn’t know the entire story. How he'd agonized over losing her, to the point of waking up in restraints at the hospital that one night.

"It wasn't like that, Veronica," he answers, trying to communicate his sincerity with his eyes. "I never stopped caring about you. The last thing I ever want is to see you hurting."

"Why did you break up with me, Duncan?"

_Here it comes._

Ignoring his first instinct - the desire to flee - he swallows, and steels himself. "I apologize in advance, but that's the one topic that's off-limits. I won't talk about it?"

Veronica jumps up from her bed, suddenly furious. "Why not? Don't you think I deserve to know the truth? Don't you think I deserve closure?"

Duncan is taken aback by her rage. His Veronica had always been sweet and even-tempered. He doesn’t know this girl, so quick to anger. Eyes as hard as blue steel. He and Veronica used to be so much alike. Now she reminds him of Logan more and more all the time. They both share a sort of...ruthlessness.

He remembers several conversations over the previous months, where Logan had recounted some of Veronica's more colorful revenge tactics, a note of almost...pride?... in his voice. This girl is Logan's creature, not his.

"Trust me, Veronica," he says leaning forward to look straight into her eyes. "You. Don't. Want. that kind of closure. It ruined my life. I don't want it to ruin yours too."

"Um...hello? Have you seen my life for the past year?"

"I tried not to." he answers, determined to be truthful, but aware he might be perceived as an asshole.

"Wait...Logan came up with a theory after your dad's press conference. He thinks that Jake forced you to break up with me."

Duncan's stomach rolls. Logan's perceptiveness can be frightening sometimes.

He supposes he can at least give her that much. "Close," he says, not meeting her eyes now. "It was my mother, although my dad supported her."

"So your mom tells you to break up with me, and you just agreed to it?"

"No." He sighs, and resists the urge to bite his fingernails. "Other than Lilly's death, it was the worst night of my life. I fought and argued and begged and pleaded until I realized they were right. I really didn't have a choice."

"Awww. Did they threaten the trust fund?"

"Damn it, Veronica!" he snaps. "You know me better than that."

He feels guilty for raising his voice, but if anybody knows how little the money means to him, it’s Veronica.

"Oh, then it was the politics. Can't get into the White House, with Ms. White Trash at your side, huh?"

"I never  _wanted_  to get to the White House without you by my side. It wasn't until I was with you that I even wanted to make something of myself."

"Right...I was a regular old inspiration, huh? Okay, so Celeste demanded you break up with me, and your response was to say nothing at all? Let me figure it out on my own?"

"Again, I have no defense." He says, betraying his nerves by rubbing his hands down his pant legs. "I felt like my life had been destroyed by my parents. I didn't want to destroy yours too."

"Because of this mysterious reason for breaking up with me."

"Yes. Listen, I know you think that I made that choice because it was easier, but I truly believed I was doing the right thing for you. I still do."

"You still do?" Her voice is icy.

"I still do," he repeats. "Some secrets need to stay buried. For everybody's sake,"

"So you couldn't have just given me the old 'It's not you, it's me' line?"

"I wasn't going to lie to you and it hurt too much to talk to you. "

"Well, we can't have you hurting, now can we?" Veronica asks, bitterly. "Who cared how much I hurt?"

"It wasn't supposed to be that way. Lilly was supposed to be there for you. Logan was supposed to be there for you. I never could have predicted..."

"That she would die and he would turn on me?"

"...Yeah." he exhales.

"Logan drew battle lines and you picked a side."

"Veronica…" he sighs. "I really loved you, but Logan has been there for me since I was five."

"I know," she says, calming.

"None of the other kids at school would even talk to me - other than to pick on me - until Logan took me under his wing."

"Why is it so easy for me to picture you as a five year old, but not Logan?"

"Um...he was pretty ornery back then. He scowled a lot. And tried to look tough."

Veronica begins softening right before his eyes. Becoming the girl he used to know- a ghost of a smile forming on her lips. Not wanting to spoil the moment, he continues.

"He stood about…" He holds out a hand to around the three and a half foot mark. "...this high. His hair stuck up the same way it still does, but without all the junk in it,"

Now Veronica is smiling for real. She closes her eyes, and he can tell she’s creating an image in her head.

"Even back in Kindergarten the girls giggled when he walked past, and he would snarl at them, which only made them giggle more."

Veronica bites her lip, trying to suppress a giggle herself.

"He refused to wear his uniform correctly, so a good five times every day, Mrs. Hathaway would have to retie his necktie, and he'd peel it off the moment she turned her back.

On the first day of school, he caught me sucking my thumb at nap time, and shook his head at me sternly until I stopped, but he never told a soul about it. The second week of school, he pushed down a second-grader who was bullying me, and we've been friends ever since."

"So basically, he hasn't changed a bit?"

"Well, he was a bit shorter then." Duncan laughs, before growing serious. "But my point is, he's always been there for me. I would have literally no friends if it weren't for Logan."

"That's not true," Veronica protests.

"Actually it is. I'm socially awkward and there aren't too many people who seem worth the effort of putting myself out there for."

"And I thought I was a cynic," Veronica says.

"But I'm not a cynic, really. I love humanity as a whole, and would dedicate my life to improving living conditions. It's just the individual humans who don't much do it for me."

"I can relate. In a way." Veronica says.

"People surround me because Logan, and previously Lilly, were sitting next to me. I go to parties when he convinces me to. Sure, some people like me more than Logan. Over the years, they've realized that he can be a major jerk, and I'm relatively inoffensive. But other than at school, do you ever see me spending time with these people?"

"Now that you mention it, no," Veronica says. "At least not since Lilly…"

He silences for several beats. "I really did believe when I ended things with you, that Lilly and Logan would help you pick up the pieces. And then after she died...I was barely...functional"

"None of us were."

"Yeah, but I was  _really_  bad. If it weren't for Logan… I owe him everything. He was the only thing keeping me upright."

"Logan? How?" Veronica asks curiously. "I didn't know he was capable of goodness during that time period."

"For that first month or so after she died, he stopped by every morning and bullied me until I'd get out of bed and take a shower. "

"Logan bullying? What a surprise."

"At school, he made sure I ended up in my classes when I couldn't even remember my schedule. He made me eat. He said I was his project. Focusing on keeping me going, kept him from going insane."

"You were only  _one_ of his projects. I was his other, more twisted, project."

"You should have seen him after Lilly died." Duncan shudders. "To the rest of the world, Logan was functional. But his eyes, Veronica. They were...wrong. Always darting around, as if looking for danger everywhere. Assessing everybody as if they were suspects. And burning. They burned with hate."

"I remember," she answers dryly.

"But those were the good days. On the bad days, you would find him on the beach, drunk out of his mind. Completely broken. I was afraid he was going to wind up dead. And on those days, I would have taken the hate in a heartbeat."

"That's because you were never on the other end of it. Why are you even telling me this stuff, Duncan? Logan wouldn't want me to know he'd ever had a weak moment."

He can’t hide the guilt in his eyes. "Because you should have been there, and I knew it. I knew that you could get through to him. You were the only one who could have helped him."

"Sorry, but I was a bit too busy back then cleaning off my windshield and changing flat tires, to console the person responsible." As quickly as she'd appeared, his Veronica is gone again, replaced by the new, bitter version.

Not noticing the warning signs, he continues. "I should have insisted. Made him see reason."

"Are you hearing me, Duncan? So far, you've told me how hard Lilly's death was on you and on Logan. Have you ever once considered what it was like for me?"

"Veronica…"

"I didn't only lose my lifelong best friend. I lost you, and Logan, and even my mom, all at the same time. And you're whining about how I could have been there to help  _Logan_ _?_ "

"I didn't mean—"

"Logan had a choice, Duncan, and he chose to leave me in the dust. You chose to leave me in the dust. I didn't get a choice. You all abandoned me at once."

"I'm so sorry."

"And if that wasn't bad enough…? I could have dealt with the abandonment, and the loneliness. But the torment? And the torture?"

"I understand."

"NO, you understand nothing. You had Logan. He had you. You both had all of your other friends. I had nobody. I grieved alone."

Duncan looks at the floor, knowing that nothing he says in this moment will help.

"Did you ever think of that?"

"I thought about it all the time," he admits. "I tried to discuss it with Logan, but he was too far gone by then."

"And God forbid you  _exert_  yourself in any way, or experience a moment of discomfort."

And that was it in a nutshell, wasn't it? He didn't exert himself. He never has. He’d thought once he'd become the leader Jake always wanted him to be, he would have the opportunity to make great sweeping changes in the world. But if he couldn't be moved to exert himself enough to stick up for one miserable lonely girl who he'd loved more than almost anyone else on earth, how could he believe he'd ever exert himself for change?

He’s being too simplistic, though. He’d spent a year kissing and making out with his own sister. He'd had a drunken one-night-stand with her. Sticking up for her meant acknowledging her existence, and acknowledging meant remembering his sins.

"You're right. To be honest, it was a relief that Logan wanted no part of you. That way I didn't have to face you"

_Or the shame and guilt._

"And you were right, earlier. You are a coward," Veronica says, turning away and effectively dismissing him.

_I deserve that._

"I know," he says standing and moving over to sit at the foot of her bed, begging her with his eyes to continue this discussion. "I have been a coward, but I'm asking you to forgive me anyway."

Veronica stares at him for several seconds with the same affection she would show to a cockroach, and then sighs. "I guess I don't have a choice, if we're supposed to survive together."

"I don't want your forgiveness out of obligation."

"I don't see where you have a lot of options."

"I'll find a way to earn your forgiveness," Duncan says.

"Funny, Logan said those exact words just days ago."

"And you forgave him."

"After today, I'm reconsidering that forgiveness," Veronica mumbles.

"Seriously? Why is it so much easier to forgive Logan than me? Everything he did was to cause you pain. Everything I did was to avoid causing you pain."

Her lips twist into a bitter little smirk. "Ehh...you know how it goes," she shrugs. History loves the anti-hero, but reviles the coward."

Duncan stares at her in disbelief for a moment. Did she really just say that? "Logan? An anti-hero?"

"What else would you call him? He has no morals. He's not afraid to get dirty, or to be an asshole. But...he is the bravest person I have ever met, and if he cares about you, he'll go to the ends of the earth for you. He'll suffer any amount of physical pain to keep you safe."

"Well when you put it that way…" Duncan laughs, grudgingly. "You may have a point, but do me a favor. Let's keep that observation to ourselves. His head is already big enough."

"Oh my God," Veronica laughs in agreement. "Can you imagine? He would probably want to get an _'_ _I'm the anti-hero_ _'_ tee shirt.

They laugh together for a moment, the tension broken now.

"So, are we okay now?" Duncan asks.

"Yeah…" Veronica gives a small smile. "I think we'll be okay."

 

**CNOW - ALL NEWS ALL DAY**

[Logo cuts to the official media photo of the Neptune Three]

 

"What's up with that?" Duncan points at the T.V.

"That, is our official media photo," Veronica explains with a pained sigh, air quoting the word 'official'.

"Logan carrying you like a bride is our official photo?"

"I suppose I should warn you," Veronica says. "The American public doesn't seem to mind the fact that we killed a man. They do, however, have strong opinions about who I should be dating."

"Who has time for dating when they're on the run?" Duncan snorts.

Their eyes meet and they speak as one. "Logan."

"So, I'm guessing from the photo that bachelor number one is the favorite?"

"America loves a jackass."

 

**[Media photo cuts to studio shot of anchor]**

**Anchor:**  Next up, we go to Ann Marler in Neptune, California who spent today gathering reactions from those close to the investigation or the Neptune Three.

**Marler:**  Thanks Rebecca. I received another video statement today. This time from Duncan Kane, but we'll get to that in a bit. First up, I caught up with Sheriff Lamb this morning for his take on yesterday's video statement.

[Cuts to footage of Don Lamb behind his desk]

**LAMB:** (Looks up from a file on his desk) You  again.  (smirks)  Is this a stalking thing? If you want a date, you can just ask me.

**MARLER:**   (Ignoring his innuendo)  Sheriff Lamb, did you have an opportunity to watch the Mars/Echolls video statement?

**LAMB:**   Yes, I watched it on the news last night.

**MARLER:**   And what steps are you taking to put Liam Fitzpatrick behind bars?

**LAMB:**  Listen, my hands are tied. What those videos show is Criminal Threatening, which is a misdemeanor in most states. I mean Logan or Veronica could press assault charges against him, but they would have to come back to Neptune to do so. Even then, Liam could counter that he was the one disabled and tied to a bathroom fixture.

**MARLER:**  What about the car chase? Liam Fitzpatrick put not only those teenager's lives in danger, but also everybody else's on that freeway.

**LAMB:**  Unfortunately, we can't place Liam in that vehicle. Our techs tried to enhance the video image, but the windows were tinted.

**MARLER:**  But Liam was last seen in the location where the vehicle was stolen. Our witness told us that Liam's car was missing, and he had the motive to chase Logan and Veronica.

**LAMB:**  No evidence ties Liam to that vehicle. Nobody witnessed the theft, and it was wiped of prints when it was found.

**MARLER:**   So Liam Fitzpatrick is going to get away with stalking, terrorizing, and attempted murder?

**LAMB:**  There is no evidence of attempted murder, and if the kids would like to pursue stalking charges, they will need to get a restraining order against Liam.

**LAMB:**   Listen, we could have protected these kids, had they remained in Neptune. They made their choice. I couldn't protect them if I wanted to now. I have no idea where they are. Now please leave, I have more pressing crimes to solve.

**MARLER:** (standing and making her face blank)  Thank you for your time, Sheriff Lamb.

 

"Is he serious?" Duncan asked.

"Unfortunately, he is. I looked up the law before we even made the video. It wasn't really about getting Lamb's support."

 

[Cut to video showing Keith Mars stepping out of the building housing Mars Investigations]

**MARLER:** (approaching)  Mr. Mars, do you have a second?

**KEITH:**   (glancing up warily) Ms . Marler. How can I help you?

**MARLER:**   Can you tell me your thoughts on your daughter's video statement?

**KEITH:** (wry smile) She's  something else, isn't she? She sent that video directly to you?

**MARLER:**   Yes. She must have seen my previous interview with you. Why do you believe Veronica made this statement? Did she believe it would lead to Liam Fitzpatrick's arrest?

**KEITH:**  No, Veronica knows better than that. Sheriff Lamb is not going to arrest a Fitzpatrick unless his hands are absolutely tied. I imagine she did it to win support in the court of public sentiment. Nobody can argue now that those kids didn't flee in fear for their lives.

**MARLER:**  What was going through your head when you saw Liam Fitzpatrick threatening your daughter?

**KEITH:**   What do you think? I'm a father. I felt nausea. Terror. Rage. Had I been in that room, I may have tried to hurt him.

**MARLER:**  And what were you thinking when you saw the car chase?

**KEITH:**   Again, terror. I couldn't breathe seeing my little girl being chased at high speeds. At the same time, I felt thankful that I taught Veronica everything I learned in my Evasive Driving workshop, and immense pride that she was able to remain cool, and protect herself and her friends on the road.

**MARLER:**  Speaking of friends, has your opinion of Logan Echolls changed at all?

**KEITH:** (thinking)  Yes, actually it has. After seeing his dynamic with my daughter, and his reaction to Liam's threats to her, I'm beginning to believe her safety is his top concern. Of course he's still is a smart aleck that has no respect for authority, but I'm happy that they have their friendship back. Logan Echolls is a kid that you want to have in your corner.

**MARLER:**   What about Duncan Kane?

**KEITH:**   I believe they said he was on an errand? No, my opinion of him has not changed, and no, he's not somebody that you want to have in your corner.

**MARLER:**  Is your opinion of him based on the rumored feud between the Mars and Kane family?

**KEITH:**  No, there is no Mars/Kane feud. My opinion of Duncan is based on my daughter crying her eyes out in private, because he broke her heart and never even told her why.

 

"Ouch," Duncan says.

"I didn't cry  _that_  much," Veronica protests, clearly embarrassed.

 

**MARLER:**  Thanks for sparing the time to speak with me, Mr. Mars.

**KEITH:**  Well, my daughter seems to like you. As long as you continue to treat my daughter's story with respect…

**MARLER:**  You can be assured that I will.

 

[Cut to shot of Neptune High where a large group of students stands just off school premises facing the camera. Most are from the first interview, but there are a few additions.]

**MARLER:**   I'm back at Neptune High School to speak with some of the Neptune Three's classmates.  (turning to the group)  What was your reaction to the Logan and Veronica video statement?

**CASEY:**  I think Liam Fitzpatrick is a psychopath, and needs to be taken off the streets. Logan and Veronica are in real danger.

**DICK:**  No way, man. Logan can take that punk.

**CASEY:**   (impatiently)  We're not talking about a fair fight here, Dick. We're talking about attempted murder. Liam Fitzpatrick is not going to drop his guns for a round of gentlemanly fisticuffs.

**WALLACE:**   I agree. Homeboy is psychotic!

**DICK:**  Logan could beat him in a fair fight, though.

**WALLACE:**  If by fair, you mean, Fitzpatrick puts down the crack pipe, sure.

**FELIX:**  No way, man. I know somebody who knows Liam pretty well. It's meth, not crack. And Echolls has always been a  [bleep bleep].

**DICK:**  He was a real  [bleep bleep]  that night he laid you out for touching Veronica.

**FELIX:**   Man! That was a sucker punch! I didn't even know he was there until he hit me.

**LUKE:**  Why aren't we talking about that car chase? I've never seen a girl drive that way, before. That was hot!

**CASEY:** (nodding)  Yeah…

**CASSIDY:**   Totally.

(Felix and Troy Vandergraff nod in agreement)

**DICK:**  Yeah, I'd do her…

**MADISON:**  Dick!

**DICK:**  Oh, I meant hypothetically or something. Sorry Logan.

(Troy elbows him)

**DICK:**  Oh, I meant… sorry Troy. Even though Logan totally stole her from you.

 

"Why does everybody think you're with Logan?"

"I don't know, the media photo, maybe? Rumors? Innuendos?"

 

**TROY:**  Veronica, if you're watching, I really miss you, and I wish you could come home. I still owe you a yacht ride.

(Next to Troy, a newly short-haired Caitlin Ford grasps his arm and begins acting territorial.)

 

"Seriously?" Veronica asks. "I don't even like Caitlin, but to say that right in front of her? Has he always been that shady?"

"I never thought he was, but Logan had a problem with him."

 

**MARLER:**  Why do you believe that Logan stole Veronica?

**DICK:**   Didn't you watch the video? I haven't seen Logan that  [bleep]-w hipped since he was with Lilly Kane. Hell, even with Lilly, he would put up a fight. With Veronica, he's all like 'yes dear', 'how high, dear'. She made him lift up his shirt and show his bruises on TV, for God's sake. Way to emasculate him, Ronnie.

 

"Was that emasculating him?" Veronica asks Duncan.

"Ehhh...little bit," he says, thumb and index finger a centimeter apart.

"Why wouldn't  _he_  tell me that?"

"Because he's whipped?" Duncan jokes, shrugging.

Veronica sighs, and turns back to the TV.

 

**FELIX:**  Are we talking about the same guy? He emasculates himself just fine.

**DICK:**   I'll emasculate you after—

**CASEY:** (cutting Dick off) Let  it go, man.

**MARLER:**  I notice that several of you have been influenced by Veronica's style.

**MADISON:** (stepping forward with new blonder flippy hair, wearing leather boots and a denim mini) Well , I always did think Veronica had a unique style – at least after Lilly died – and you know, they say she's a fashion icon now.

**CAITLIN:**  Romeo Scavo himself was here in town asking about Veronica. He's designing an entire line around her for Macy's.

**MEG:** (still long haired and dressed like herself rolling her eyes)  One meeting with a famous designer and you two both miraculously forget all of the times you bashed Veronica's style.

**MARLER:**  And how do you feel about Veronica's style?

**MEG:**  Veronica is beautiful the way she is, and I've always loved her style. But, she is 100% an individual. She would absolutely hate being copied this way.

**WALLACE:**    Especially by these two.  (he points at Madison and Caitlin)

**MEG:**   (nodding, and smiling at Wallace)  Especially.

 

Veronica turns to Duncan. "Did you just see that?"

"See what?"

"Sparks between Wallace and Meg? Never mind, you never see anything,"

"Hey! I saw sparks between Logan and Carolann," Duncan says.

"Meg is still dating Cole."

"Does that seem like a long-term thing?"

"Ehh...he whines a lot about never seeing second base, so I doubt it.

"Hmmm…" Veronica says, "She would make a perfect Mama Bear."

 

**MARLER:** (to Felix)  So let's go back to an earlier comment. You and Logan fought over Veronica?

**FELIX:**   Like I said, it was a sucker punch. It was back a few months before Lilly Kane died. At a bonfire party on the beach.

**MARLER:**  Why did he punch you?

**FELIX:**   (looking away guiltily)  I tried to…dance with Veronica.

**DICK:**   Dude, you were humping her leg like a mongrel dog.

**CASEY:**  Thanks for the reminder. Logan still owes me for denting the hood of my Porsche to get to him.

**MARLER:**  So is Logan in the habit of fighting over Veronica?

**DICK:**   I wouldn't say habit. Just Felix and that dude from Pan High. It's not like he would have to if Duncan would have ever lifted a finger.

 

"What is this, pick on Duncan day?" Duncan pouts.

"According to Lilly, every day was pick on Duncan day." Veronica says.

 

**MEG:**  Duncan is a gentle soul. He's not the type to instigate a fight.

**FELIX:**  Yeah, he really gently stabbed that Fitzpatrick.

**MARLER:**  So Logan thinks he's protect—

**DICK:** (cutting her off)  Oh, there was that one night at my party when Logan and Duncan almost got into a fight over her.

**CASEY:**  They weren't going to fight. Logan was drunk and didn't want to give Duncan his car keys. I was standing right there, and even I don't know how it became about Veronica. Short story, Logan stormed off and Duncan went after him.

**LUKE:**  They were cool the next time we saw them.

**DICK:**  Yeah, now that I think about it, Duncan ended things with Veronica not long after that. Wonder if Logan was hitting that earlier than we thought.

 

"What?" Veronica asks.

"There was no fight," Duncan answers, avoiding her eyes. "I was trying to take Logan's keys."

"Like Casey said, how did it become about me?"

"I don't even remember. Dick is full of crap. Logan had nothing to do with our breakup."

"Oh,"

"Unless Logan was  _'hitting that'_ ," he jokes, and Veronica picks up the empty plastic spinach juice bottle from the nightstand and throws it at him. He bats it away with a laugh.

"Ass," she says, right as Wallace said:

 

**WALLACE:**  You really are an ass, aren't you? No, Veronica and Logan have never been an item. Then or now.

**DICK:**  Don't be so sure about now, kid. I happen—

(Cassidy nudges Dick and he shuts up.)

**MARLER:**  I would like to thank you all for speaking to me again.

**DICK:**  I'll speak to you anytime you would like.  (waggling eyebrows)  How about we speak…privately…later?

**MARLER:** (battling for professionalism)  Rebecca, back to you.

 

[Cut to split screen – anchor in studio and Ann Marler at another location]

**MARLER:**  Lynn Echolls was unavailable for comment, but her people promised that she would get back to me. Aaron Echolls is still out of the country, and, as expected, the Kanes refuse to speak to the press.

**ANCHOR:**  Was Sheriff Lamb telling you the truth about his hands being tied?

**MARLER:**  Yes, I did some research after speaking to the sheriff, and unfortunately, what he said was true. As of now, they can only bring in Liam Fitzpatrick for a misdemeanor, unless something can link him to the stolen Mustang. Let's hope that they can get more evidence on him, before this ends in tragedy.

**ANCHOR:**  Now I understand you received another video statement. This time from Duncan Kane?

**MARLER:**  Yes, after my follow up interviews with the people of Neptune, I came back to my room to find another email with a video attachment.

**ANCHOR:**  Were you able to learn anything from it?

**MARLER:**  Only that he's in the same motel, but in a different bed, than the Logan/Veronica statement. It could be a different motel in the same motel chain, but with the limited glimpses we've had of the décor, it doesn't seem to match up with any of the big motel chains. We're guessing that they are at, or were at, a privately owned motel somewhere in Texas.

**ANCHOR:**  Let's roll the tape.

 

[Cut to shot of Duncan sitting on his bed. He wears a blue V-neck sweater layered over a white tee shirt]

**DUNCAN:** (looking incredibly shy)  Hi. My name is Duncan Kane. I wasn't around to participate in the first video statement, so I wanted to tell my side of the story.

**DUNCAN:**  On the day that Veronica was almost raped, I was playing soccer at the community park. Logan came to pick me up, since my car was in the shop. As we were pulling away, Logan caught a glimpse of something in his mirror, and stopped the car and jumped out. I waited for a moment, and then went after him.

**DUNCAN:**   (breathes deeply)  As I approached the gate, I saw Ciaran Fitzpatrick with his hand on Veronica's throat attempting to rape her. That's the last thing I remember. It was as if an inky fog entered my vision before everything went black.

**DUNCAN:**  The next thing I remember.  (Looks offscreen at Veronica for guidance)  uh…I was in the shower, and the water was rinsing blood off me. Once I was clean, Logan and Veronica explained what happened earlier. I realized that I'd had another epileptic episode.

**DUNCAN:** When we found out from one of Veronica's investigative contacts how dangerous Liam Fitzpatrick was and how close he was with his brother Ciaran, we made a decision as a group to go on the run.

**DUNCAN:** (another deep breath)  I realize my family thinks that Logan and Veronica kidnapped me. Nothing could be further from the truth. We went to my home to pack, and I saw my parents pulling into the driveway. I love my family very much, but I just wasn't in the right state of mind to deal with them at that time, so I ignored them. I never thought that my failure to respond to them would lead to those unfounded allegations.

**DUNCAN:**  I guess that's all I really needed to say. Everything else was mentioned by Logan and Veronica in their statement. Mom and Dad, I love you very much, and I am so so sorry. I know you had plans for my career, and now I've gone and ruined everything.  (wry grin)  Maybe you should try adoption?

 

[Scene cuts to anchor]

**ANCHOR:**  Thanks, Ann. That's it for today's Neptune Three coverage, but we'll keep you up to date on any new developments.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel - Parking Lot**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Logan feels a growing anxiety as Carolann pulls to the back of the motel parking lot. They'd had a great dinner, which he had managed to stretch out as long as possible with conversation.

Typically, the end of a date is his favorite part of the night. He usually spends this time evaluating how he can most easily separate the girl from her pants. But tonight is different.

This is a first for him. He's never had to explain to a girl before why he doesn’t want to have sex with her. She’ll probably become upset, and wonder what’s wrong with her, when the truth is, she’s nearly perfect.

Carolann is gorgeous, stacked, smart, a good conversationalist, and nice. Any guy would be lucky to have her. The problem is, she’s tall instead of short. She’s brunette instead of blonde. She has beautiful green eyes instead of blue. She’s too pleasant instead of snarky. She isn't that pesky bane of his existence.

He nearly groans at the realization. He doesn’t need Veronica in his head like this. If he were smart, he would work up some enthusiasm, book another room from Peggy, or even pick the lock on one of the empty rooms, and have sex with this beautiful girl.

Nope. His dick doesn’t even twitch at the idea. Freaking Veronica Mars has neutered him.

He wonders if Carolann would settle for a quick makeout session in the car instead, and let him off the hook.

He hasn’t been able to get the kiss with Veronica out of his head the entire evening. When they were much younger he’d often thought about kissing Veronica, but had always convinced himself that his kind of intensity would entirely overwhelm her. She was naïve and innocent, but he must have confused that with passionless. He should have known better.

It’s obvious that Veronica has never been kissed like that before – Logan isn't surprised, considering only Duncan had been there first – but she had been far from overwhelmed. She'd been enthusiastic, and after she'd caught on, she had matched him in passion and intensity.

Who is he kidding? He’s never kissed like that before, either.

Afraid that it would be his only shot with her, he’d poured all of his heart into the kiss as well as his passion. That definitely isn’t how he usually works – not even with Lilly, who’d liked things fast and feverish. Veronica was the first, and the funny thing was, she had reciprocated. Any doubts he may have felt before as to whether she has feelings for him, temporarily vanished when he'd felt her pouring her heart right back into the kiss.

He'd felt emotionally stripped afterwards, perhaps even vulnerable. And for her to then turn around and pretend it had meant nothing…? He  _knows_  it meant something to her.

He probably should not have acted so coldly to her afterwards, but she'd hurt him.

Even now, acknowledging his own wrongdoing, he’s still going keep up the act a little longer. Let her put in some effort to fix things this time. She’s the delusional one, after all.

He’d planned to worm his way under her skin and into her heart before ever attempting to take it to a physical place. Now everything is ruined and he’ll probably have to start all over again.

And all of that is not even considering the Duncan implications. What kind of guy kisses his best friend's ex? What kind of guy intends to keep kissing his best friend's ex - because Logan is in no way ready to admit defeat.

Duncan is going to flip when he finds out.

Carolann makes a small 'clearing-the-throat' sound, and Logan realizes they’re already parked outside of his room. Probably had been for a minute.

"So…we're here," she says, with a nervous catch in her voice.

_Oh hell. Alright. A quick make-out. Let's get this over with._

He shifts his body, and leans across the seat to kiss Carolann. Surprisingly, at the last minute, she puts up a hand and pushes him away.

"I'm not going to kiss you, Logan," she says.

Surprise flickers across his face. "You're not? I thought we had a nice time."

_Now  she's  rejecting me too? Am I wearing some kind of sign?_

"We did have a nice time. You're a fascinating person, and you're super-hot, but the girl you really want to kiss is in that room." Carolann points at the door.

"Who, Veronica? We're not together."

"Maybe not, but you want to be," Carolann says.

"But—"

"Logan, you spent the entire evening talking about how amazing she is. How she fought that Liam guy at your side. How she drove like a badass. How tough she is, and how strong she is. How smart she is. You're obviously crazy about her."

Logan opens his mouth to protest, but then lets it out with a sigh. "She doesn't feel the same way. She totally rejected me."

"So you went out with me to make her jealous?"

"No! That's not the way I saw it," Logan sighs. "I wanted something different than jealousy. I wanted her to see that other girls think I'm good enough."

"Did Veronica tell you that you weren't good enough?"

"No, but I've always felt that way when it comes to her."

"So you were trying to prove to yourself  _and_  Veronica that you were good enough?"

Logan laughs. "When you put it that way, it sounds a bit ridiculous."

Carolann smiles. "Logan, get out of this car and go work on making this up to your girl."

"She'd probably taser you if she heard you call her that," Logan warns with a grin.

"Let her try," Carolann says. "I'd tell her to get her head out of her ass and realize what a catch she has in you."

"Come on in. You can tell her tonight," Logan says, impulsively leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Get out of here," she laughs, pushing him away.

A heavy wave of disappointment falls over Logan after he opens the door to their room. The light over Duncan's bed is on, but Veronica's light is off, and she’s already in bed with her eyes closed. He supposes it doesn’t matter. They can't exactly have a conversation in front of the Donut.

Duncan looks up from his travel book. "Hey,"

"Hey," Logan answers. "Why's she sleeping? She usually stays up much later."

"I don't know, but you dodged a bullet. She was in a pretty bad mood earlier."

_Bad mood, huh? Could she possibly be jealous? Just a little?_

"Is she usually that cranky?" Duncan asks.

"No," Logan says thoughtfully. "Believe it or not, she's usually a lot of fun."

"Oh. Then it must just be me. We kind of had it out."

Logan turns around on his way to the bathroom.

"You had it out with her? What the hell is wrong with you? Do you not realize she was almost raped?"

"Right...Having it out with her is your special thing. Actually,  _she_  went off on  _me_ , but I kind of encouraged her to."

"And why would you do that?"

"Guilt? Regret? How could I not? Things needed to be said."

"Why?"

"Because separately, we'll all fail. Strengthening our relationship is the most important thing if we're going to survive, and that kind of resentment could sink us."

"So you decided to face things head on? How very…un-Duncan-like of you," Logan says, heading into the bathroom.

As he brushes his teeth and gets ready for bed, Logan thinks about what Duncan just said.

The relationship between the three of them is the most important thing. Isn’t that what Veronica had been saying earlier when she'd pushed him away? Maybe it hadn't been a rejection, per se. He’d have to find some way to convince her that they can together without jeopardizing the group relationship.

_Right…because Duncan will just pat us on the back and tell us he's happy for us._

Out in the room, Logan undresses down to his boxers and tee shirt and slips into bed with Veronica. She’s laying on her side facing the door to the room, so he lays on his opposite side facing Duncan.

"So?" Duncan asks. "You get lucky?"

"With Carolann? Nah. Didn't even try."

"Okay, who are you, and where'd you put Logan?"

Logan laughs. "I know, right? Carolann was pretty much…perfect. I'm just a little stressed out, I guess."

"It was Veronica, huh?" Duncan asks.

Logan almost chokes. "What about Veronica?"

"Well, she was so annoyed with you for taking a risk and going on that date. I could see why you wouldn't want to stay out any later than necessary."

"Yeah…" Logan says, "Something like that. She can be pretty scary for such a little thing. Listen, I'm exhausted, man. Talk to you in the morning."

"Night," Duncan says. Minutes later, he turns off the other light.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Five**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

She’d known ten minutes after crawling under the covers that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. She’s too keyed-up, her mind too occupied by a certain psychotic jackass. However, the conversation with Duncan, while cathartic, had also been draining, and she's had enough for one night, so she pretends at sleep.

She pretends even after HE returns. She'd listens to Duncan's explanation of their night, and damn, if he doesn’t have a point. When had Mr. Avoidance become Mr. Live-Together-or-Die-Alone?

She's worried that Logan might climb in bed with Duncan instead, due to their fight, and is overjoyed when she feels her own bed dip down, then disappointed, when he remains completely on his side of the imaginary center line.

She listens to their whispered conversation about the perfect Carolann, her heart unclenching when Logan admits to not having sex with her.

She waits until she hears soft snores coming from Duncan's side of the room.

She knows it’s wrong. She'd pushed him away, and she has no business leading him on, but she needs him. She’ll never be able to fall asleep until she’s touching him. Plus, there’s no way he’d possibly know she’s actually awake, right?

Making her movements jerky as if she’s sleeping, she flops over to her left side and reaches out a hand for him. She purposely fumbles at his waist before using it to pull herself tightly against his back.

With her face pressed to the back of his shoulder, she finally relaxes. The effect this boy has upon her physiology is almost criminal.

Logan's hand moves to rest on top of her's where it lays gently on his stomach, and she nearly purrs. So he’s not really as angry with her as he would like her to believe.

A good two minutes pass before Logan lets out a tragic sigh, and rolls over onto his back.

Veronica feels the faintest whisper of his lips upon hers, before he slides an arm under her neck and guides her head to its usual resting place against his heart.

"You'll be the death of me, Veronica Mars," he whispers into her hair, before pressing another kiss onto the top of her head.

_Likewise, Logan Echolls. But you know what they say: what a way to go!_


	19. Day Six - When Fangirls Attack

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

The glowing red numbers of the clock radio displays 7:06, when Duncan wakes, rubbing at a cramp in his neck. Never one to linger the morning away in bed, once his eyes open, he’s up for the day.

On silent feet, he tiptoes to the closet and retrieves his duffel bag. A hint of morning light steals past the edges of the blackout curtains, illuminating the two sleepers in the other bed.

Duncan freezes, gut clenching as if squeezed by a fist.

Veronica and Logan. They'd warned him about their sleeping arrangements, but Logan seemed so clinical last night when he slid between the sheets facing away from her. Duncan assumed they would remain back-to-back, never expecting to wake up to find Logan twined like a bracelet around his…

_Just admit it…sister. Sister. SISTER._

He needs to find the appropriate brotherly reaction.  How would he react to finding Logan sleeping with Lilly?

_I HAVE seen Logan asleep with Lilly, and they never looked like this._

Even in sleep, while Logan clung to her like a drowning man, Lilly had always extended away from him, fleeing, like a modern Apollo and Daphne.

_This is different._

Veronica's head rests on his chest. Her arm stretches across him territoriality, fingers curling around his ribs. She looks like she's exactly where she wants to be.

Logan's fingers burrow into her hair, while his other hand reaches across to her hip. He doesn’t seem inclined to run away either.

In fact, the only person who wants to flee in this moment is Duncan.

He acts on his impulse, darting to the bathroom, where he sets down his duffel before creeping back out and crouching down to the mini-fridge. Cringing when the door makes a suction sound, he thumbs the lever, extinguishing the blinding glow of the light. Cans of soda clink as he pushes them aside and feels around for the cold plastic bottle of orange juice in the back corner. He eases the fridge door closed in silence.

In the dark, Duncan fumbles for the pull-tab with his thumb, before pulling off the lid and taking a deep swig. The sweet tang quenches his thirst, but the sting on the inside of his cheek? Not so wonderful. He recaps the bottle, leaving it on the coffee bar.

Back in the bathroom, Duncan undresses, and climbs in the shower, cranking the water temperature up as hot as he could bear, then a smidgen hotter, reasoning that the intense heat will be effective for relieving his neck pain. A small part of him acknowledges his real reason – he’s always trying to wash away the oily black stain of sister-love.

Veronica's mismatched bottles line the side of the tub. Unsurprisingly, she still uses the same products he remembers seeing at her old house. She’s no Lilly, always in search of the new and novel. Veronica is steadfast. The kind of girl who, once she finds something she likes and can depend on, will stick with it for the long haul.

He moves her stuff to the back of the toilet in order to resist the urge to sniff her shampoo.

_No good can come of that._

Logan's stuff is absent from the shower. Duncan imagines sleek white bottles all stashed away in some zippered bag with perfectly spaced elastic loops to hold everything in place. From showers taken at the Echolls estate, he recalls Logan tends to be more matchy-matchy, using only products (shampoo, body wash, deodorant) from the same product line - something with the word 'Aqua' in the name. Can’t have his scents clashing, right?

Even back when Duncan dated Veronica, he'd been amused by her stealthy attempts to catch whiffs of Logan. Maybe that's why she sleeps with Logan now - he reminds her of happier times.

Duncan washes his hair, using a shampoo that doesn’t smell like much of anything, except for baking soda. He’s recently switched to a line of certified organic products. The stuff barely lathers, but makes up for it by being Paraben-free and a great topical source of phytonutrients.

The discussion-slash-argument with Veronica last night had been his first attempt at reconciliation. Their friendship still might not get back to where they were before they dated, but he should be able to be in the same room as her without breaking into hives now. He'd never realized she'd harbored such hostility towards him, but can’t say he blames her. No wonder the drive to the Gold Coast for the Bodie Chang article had been so awkward.

But while the Veronica Situation shows improvement on the surface, internally, he has a long way to go. He needs to stop thinking of her as the "love of his life" and begin thinking of her as family.

Duncan had loved Lilly more than nearly anybody on Earth, but their relationship had been complicated. They hadn't squabbled like other siblings. Lilly gave orders and Duncan followed them. Even his earliest memories were of trying to appease her - an impossible feat. That's all he knew of being a brother, and he isn’t eager to repeat that behavior with a second sister.

 _How do you define a functional brother/sister relationship anyway?_  Logan and Trina can hardly be held up as poster children.  On TV, brothers are over-protective, but Lilly had been too scary to require protection and he can only imagine how badly that would go over with Veronica.

He lingers under the near scalding stream of water, eventually finding some relief for the pain in his neck. The water pressure leaves a lot to be desired, but no matter how well maintained, what else can be expected from a motel?

The organic shower gel doesn’t lather much either, but it’s an improvement over the shampoo, and carries a subtle hint of cedar. He stays in the shower until his skin turns pink - a combination of the intense heat and his obsessive scrubbing.

_You can't wash away incest with a light touch._

Duncan finishes grooming and dresses, preparing himself for another sighting of Logan and Veronica.

_Maybe they’ve switched positions in the last twenty minutes, and everything will be back to clinical._

With as little noise as possible, he tiptoes out of the bathroom. He stashes his duffel in the closet, reaches for his OJ, and takes a deep swig.

Logan and Veronica  _have_  changed position, but only in the smallest sense of the word. Their hands - now on Logan's stomach - twine together.

Duncan nearly dry heaves.

_Who holds hands in their sleep?_

He turns away, but then forces himself to look back. To memorize the sight.

Logan only sleeps with Veronica to keep the nightmares away, but the next guy's intentions won’t be so noble. He needs to prepare himself for the inevitability of Veronica moving on. She will never be his girlfriend again. She’s his SISTER, and eventually, she'll be somebody else's girlfriend.

There's no way he wouldn't come across as creepy, were they wake and catch him staring, but he needs to immunize himself against her. He needs to get over her, and if seeing her wrapped around his BFF helps, so be it. He’ll burn this image into his retinas, and pray it doesn't hurt so much when she finally does meet somebody new.

Sure, there had been her flirtation with Troy Vandegraff, but that wouldn't have ever gone anywhere.  Knowing Troy was still obsessed with that Shawna girl from his old school had made it easy to dismiss his pursuit of Veronica.  Logan, of course, wouldn't let it be, constantly pointing them out and needling Duncan.

He gets that Logan was simply trying to get him fired up. To make him care about something again, even if it was Veronica Mars, but a part of him had questioned whether Logan's protective-streak for Veronica was as dead-and-buried as he'd wanted everyone to believe.

A week later, and Troy has proven himself to be a player, hooking up with Caitlin, while still making public pleas for Veronica. Logan always did have the better instincts about people, but there’s no way the protective streak is dead.

Look at him now, guarding her sleep and keeping her demons at bay.

He’s seen enough. Grabbing a note pad from the nightstand drawer, he jots down:  _Went to Peggy's for a real breakfast._

He retrieves his OJ and slips silently out of the room.

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, TX**

For the first time since they left Neptune, Veronica wakes alone.

_Where's Logan? Why didn't he wake me? Or wait for me?_

The sheets where Logan had lay warm the palm of her hand, and his scent still lingers on the pillow.

_So he only got up minutes ago._

She rolls to his side of the bed for a moment, not exactly sure what she hopes to accomplish. _Do I think I can absorb a bit of his essence via his leftover warmth?_  she asks herself, idly watching dust motes glowing in a beam of morning light stealing through the two-inch gap in the drapes.

She stretches her right leg under the smooth cotton sheet, pointing her toes for a count of five before repeating the process on the other side.

Contradicting desires battle in Veronica's head:  _I need distance from him to prevent this from turning into something complicated/I need to close the distance that sprang up between us yesterday because it makes me sad and uncomfortable._

She rotates her left ankle, wishing she  _wasn't_ wishing for Logan's presence next to her.

_You're going soft, Veronica Mars._

How has she become so accustomed to him in such a short time? To the extent where it annoys her for him to break their newly established patterns.

_Now our unconventional sleeping arrangement has rules?_

Logan's absence must be another way of telling her he’s still angry. But should she believe him? He'd given in and snuggled last night, even brushing a kiss upon her lips. A kiss so whisper-soft, she'd almost missed it.

_He thought I was asleep._

The problem with feigning sleep is that he doesn’t know that she knows they'd cuddled. He might play dumb and pretend they hadn't had a moment.

_It wasn't a moment. We can't afford to have moments - they tend to lead to something more, and something more leads to betrayal and abandonment._

The squeak of faucets being turned, followed by the sound of the shower, alerts Veronica to the fact that either Duncan or Logan are still here with her. If she had to bet, she’d put money on Logan. Duncan typically wakes much earlier.

She pushes herself up into a sitting position and searches the room with her eyes. Duncan's bed is rumpled, but empty. A scribbled note on the nightstand informs her that he’s gone to Peggy's for breakfast.

So it’s Logan in the shower.

_Probably naked. Probably soapy. Or about to be._

Veronica runs a hand over her face.

_Who am I these days?_

She’s never been that girl. Lilly was the one who kept pictures of naked men, and thought about sex all day. Veronica was the one who shied away from the photos, slightly intimidated by the sight of the male anatomy.

_I am losing my mind. Distraction. I need a distraction._

The clock reads 9:30 AM. Wallace should already be in Computer Lab. The bedsprings squeak as she springs up and retrieves her laptop. She’s not disappointed when she checks her email inbox.

 

 

 

From: PapaBear04@yahoo.com

Subject: Re: re: Suprise!

To: vm911@gmail.com

Supafly,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I'm not sure whether to begin by addressing your revelation or sharing my big news.

Let's avoid the unpleasantness for now.

I was approached by the Gumshoe for a second time yesterday evening after I emailed you. Seems he needs somebody to file and answer phones at his office, so he offered me a job. Turns out, his previous receptionist RAN OFF TO MAKE-OUT WITH THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS!

I'll be starting my new job after school today. It was a no-brainer considering it pays better than the Sac N Pac, and there won't be any more run-ins with Mr. Duct Tape and his merry band of leather-clad hyenas.

It's only third period, but so much has already happened today.

Did you know about plans to erect a memorial fountain for The Fallen Queen? Well there  were  plans, but it's been postponed by her parents due to the Prince Charming sitch. Glad you didn't have to miss it.

How pure are you? That's the question that went out in an email to the entire school the other day. It linked to a quiz, which, incidentally, crushed my dreams of ever being a considered a Casanova playa. Bet your new demon-spawn makeout buddy couldn't say the same.

Well, as luck would have it, for $10, you can buy anybody else's test results. When I arrived at school this morning, it was like World War Three. Boys sexually harassing girls. Girls fighting each other in the halls. Breakups. Scores written on lockers. Incidentally, you scored a 14. You'll have to tell me someday about that time you pleasured the swim team while jacked up on goofballs. While you're at it, what's a goofball? Bet PJ knows.

The craziest part of the morning? Snow White's boyfriend, Grumpy, was screaming at her for making a fool out him. That idiot made the nicest girl in school cry by treating her like a slut. She and I bonded a little bit yesterday during the interview – did you see it? – so being the white knight that I am, I promised to try to help her clear her name.

So I ask myself, WWVD? The advisor referred me to this computer whiz girl. I'll call her Blue, due to the streaks in her hair. She's pretty cool. I think you would like her.

In order to post a test as Snow White, the culprit - henceforth known as Evil Queen - would need to know her email and password, and according to Blue, only the student themselves and the IT guy – this French dude would know passwords. He's here on Tuesday and Friday mornings, so, being Friday, I tracked him down in the IT office, but that was a dead end. He claimed he hadn't given out any passwords - it would get him fired. Blue said to check back with her if he couldn't help. She may be able to find another way to get that info. I'll check back with her on Monday.

So I guess that just leaves the elephant in the email. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING MAKING OUT WITH THAT PSYCHOTIC JACKASS? Seriously girl, there isn't enough bleach in Neptune or Balboa County to cleanse my brain tissue after that revelation. Has the Prince been slipping you his happy pills, because there is no way the girl I know would hook up with PJ. Have you forgotten all of the things he's done to you?

Even if the two of you  are  inevitable - and as much as I'd like to, I can't deny that I've seen some sparks – at least think long and hard before you rush into anything. Make sure he's not going to turn on you again.

Gotta go. Bell is about to ring. I know - delete cookies/clear cache.

Love ya girl. Stay safe.

Papa Bear

 

Wallace has a point. The Veronica he knows loathes Logan, and never would have locked lips with him.

Can a person change this much in less than a week? She tries unsuccessfully to summon last week's disdain for Duncan and Logan. Sure Logan's behavior after the kiss has been pure jackass, and Duncan has a ways to go to get on her good side, but her current feelings for both boys can only be described as mild annoyance.

She finds the idea of Wallace inheriting her position at Mars Investigations rather amusing. He’ll probably do a better job, if she’s honest with herself. He, at least, knows how to follow directions. That he had taken on his own case is a bigger surprise. He seems to have learned a lot in the short amount of time she's known him.

 

 

 

From: vm911@aol.com

Subject: Re:re:re:Surprise!

To: PapaBear04@yahoo.com

Papa Bear,

It warms my heart to know that you and the gumshoe have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Keep an eye on the old codger for me, and hopefully he'll keep an eye on you.

Snow White? Grumpy? Evil Queen? I'll go ahead and let slide your disturbing knowledge of fairy tale characters.

You've noticed the sparks between the Jackass and me? Funny, I was thinking the same thing yesterday when I saw you and Snow White on camera. Quite the coincidence that you're stepping in as her hero, Sherlock Holmeboy. Keep this up and I'll be calling  you  Prince Charming. We can find something new for the current owner of the nickname. Maybe Glazed Donut?

WWVD? Well, you're already planning to check back with Blue on Monday. Meanwhile, have a talk with Snow. Does she have any enemies? Does anybody stand to gain from her downfall? Have any girls been sniffing around Grumpy? Might anybody else have her password? If not, either Blue or Frenchie are lying. Keep an eye on them.

What about The Understudy? If she's as whack-a-doodle as the Prince suggested, she may be having a severe case of  Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride.

As for our favorite Jackass, what can I possibly say? I tell myself that I'm never going to kiss him again, but I think I might be lying.

I have faith in you, PB. Take care of that crotchety old gumshoe for me. If you need to use my car while I'm gone, it's okay with me. Tell the gumshoe I said so, but don't show him this email. If he knew about me and PJ, he would come searching. We can't be having that. It could get him killed.

Keep in touch. Often.

Supafly

 

While Veronica brews coffee, the shower turns off, and she feels the tickle of nerves in her belly. Not too much longer until she’ll see him. And gauge his mood.

She fixes cups for herself and Logan, leaving his on the coffee bar near the bathroom door.

She turns on the TV and climbs back in bed sipping from her mug. It’s a little too bitter, and needs more sweetener. She’ll leave the coffee brewing to Logan going forward. He has a talent for always getting it perfect.

She tunes-out the sports highlights, but looks up when she hears her name.

 

 

 

**CNOW - ALL NEWS ALL THE TIME**

**ANCHOR:**   In case you're just tuning in, as we reported early this morning, Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls have been captured in Orlando, Florida. So far, there has been no news of Duncan Kane's whereabouts. We go to Luisa Lopez on the scene in Orlando, Florida.

[Cuts to attractive Latina woman standing on courthouse steps]

**ANCHOR:**  Luisa, can you tell us what's happening?

**LOPEZ:**  Sure, Renee. All we know is that at 6:00 AM this morning, Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls were captured at a McDonalds in central Orlando. Both were carrying false identification and stolen credit cards. Police officials have declined to make any statements. I have Karen Tregan here, who witnessed the arrest. Karen, please tell us what happened in your own words.

**KAREN:**  Sure, Louisa. I stopped at McDonalds this morning to get a coffee and a McMuffin, but the drive-thru line was too long, so I decided to go inside. I was standing behind this young couple. She looked tired and was leaning on him, and he had both of his arms wrapped around her while they waited. I asked them if they were Logan and Veronica, and they smiled secretively. Next thing I knew, two cops had them smashed against the wall, and were snapping handcuffs on them.

**LOPEZ:**  Did they say anything?

**KAREN:**  The girl kept yelling 'My name is Amy Cooper' while the cops read them their rights. One of the officers went through her purse and found a Fake ID. Then they were pushed into the cop car and drove away.

**LOPEZ:**  Thanks for talking to me today, Karen. Renee, back to you.

 

 

_Oh hell. This is not good. In fact, this is about as bad as things could get._

Veronica numbly reaches for laptop again. The tracking software shows that Liam Fitzpatrick's Barracuda is already several hours outside of Dallas moving in a South Eastern direction.

_Damnit! The meth head is an early riser!_

She picks up the burner phone and texts Weevil: 

 

 

**Veronica Mars 11:41 AM**  
May need to activate our little bunny this morning. Soon. The Big Bad is following the wrong false lead.

Weevil texts back within seconds: 

 

 

**Weevil Navarro 11:47 AM**  
Impossible. Police busted him for receiving stolen property due to an anonymous tip. He's in lockup for a few days. Sorry. And you know we have a protocol for a reason.

_Anonymous tip, my ass, Weevil._

She jumps up and runs to the bathroom door, pounding with her knuckles.

"Logan, are you decent?"

"Not particularly. At best, ambivalent, but you usually consider me a jackass," he answers.

"You know what I mean. Open up," she calls.

The lock clicks as it disengaged, before the door opened to reveal Logan staring at her coldly.

"What?" he asks.

_Oh...definite attitude. Lovely._

The bathroom is heavy with his usual scent. The boy himself wears a fluffy white towel around his waist and, presumably, nothing else.

She’s seen him in a towel before, but before now, has turned away.

Now, her chest flutters as her eyes travel from his shoulders to his chest to his stomach. A light dusting of hair runs from below his belly button to disappear into his towel.

"Hey. Up here," he points at his face, in the manner of a well-endowed girl accustomed to having men speak to her breasts.

Veronica narrows her eyes. She simply does not have the patience to deal with a bitchy Logan today. As if they don’t have enough problems. She won’t give him the satisfaction of playing blushing schoolgirl.

"Did you have something to say, or did you just want to ogle me?" His lips curl up in a cold smirk, and she notices the shaving cream covering the right side of his face. How has she not noticed that already?

_Oh…right…I was checking out his body._

"Here," she says, holding out the coffee she'd prepared for him minutes ago.

Logan's eyes widen before he takes the cup. "Is it poisoned?"

"Now why would I want to go and do something like that?" Veronica smirks, with a savage gleam in her eyes.

"Just hazarding a guess here…Because you're jealous?"

"Keep telling yourself, that. We have a problem," Veronica says, taking a seat on the edge of the tub.

"Yes," Logan answers, staring hard at her in the mirror. "We do."

"I'm not talking about that problem."

"Of course you aren't." Logan says flippantly, "You seem to think that one will go away all on its own. So what's the new problem?"

"We were captured in Orlando – you and I. Liam's already on his way there."

"You have to be kidding me. The cops grabbed some lookalikes?" he snorts.

"Seems that way."

"How's that a problem? They'll get it straightened out eventually."

"It's a problem because we came north to keep Liam  _away_  from Florida. We're losing three days in Dallas for nothing."

"Ahh…I see," Logan says, clearing a path through the shaving cream with an expensive looking razor. Veronica takes advantage of his distraction to take in the rear view. Long neck, wide shoulders, that same smooth skin she'd run her fingertips across yesterday when her hands slipped under his shirt. Butt? Yeah, he has a butt. A really nice one, actually.

"We need to get him back here somehow," she says.

"So?" Logan asks, turning around, and leaning back against the sink. "We'll have Weevil feed Thumper information."

_Keep your eyes on his face, Veronica._

"Thumper's out of commission today. He's in lockup," she answers.

"Oh…" Logan turns back to the sink.

Veronica watches the mirror, becoming almost mesmerized by the up-down of Logan's razor. With those baby cheeks of his, she hadn't realized he shaves. He splashes water on his face and pats dry with a towel, before slathering some lotiony-looking stuff in a white container on his face. He follows up by slapping some product on his hands and pulling it through his hair to create his signature style. He washes his hands and finishes up by applying lip balm.

Veronica flashes back to yesterday: His soft lips against hers, the tingling after their kisses. "Give me some of that," she says, reaching out her hand.

He turns to face her. "You're still here?" He closes his eyes and puckers his lips exaggeratedly. When nothing happens, he shrugs and hands her the lip balm with a smirk.

"Logan..."

_" What ?"_

"We'll need to be seen somewhere public. With more than a few witnesses. The kind of sighting that'll be reported on the news."

"Relax. I know exactly what to do."

Something about the gleam in his eyes tells her she'll probably regret this.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Dallas Public Library**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Duncan drops off Logan and Veronica, and follows the map to a library five minutes away. They'd chosen this branch for its location on the opposite side of Dallas from the motel.

A glance in the rearview shows him a person he doesn’t recognize. His scruffy beard, rectangular-framed glasses and uncomfortably snug hat does not scream Duncan Kane. He looks ridiculous, but not like himself.

He locks up Peggy's truck and crosses the parking lot to the library.

Alone, at least he isn’t forced to hide his resentment over being sent on this errand.

According to the Dynamic Duo, their job is riskier and more difficult, and therefore, they’re more qualified to handle it.

_Give Duncan the easy task. Duncan is too fragile to do anything of importance. I've been relegated to computer work and chauffeuring._

_'Plus,'_ they had said, _' We're the faces of the Neptune Three.'_

_Right, because I'm completely invisible._

The library had obviously been constructed in the past few years - all glass and brick, in a style similar to the library back home.

Inside, a large white sign with black block letters informs him that the computers for public use are located between Reference and the Children's Department, but it still takes him several minutes, to locate the bank of twelve terminals. All are currently occupied, so he steps in line behind a short, thin man with ruddy skin and short, unruly golden-brown hair with exaggerated sideburns.

A young woman, pale and freckled, with short black hair, types like a clog dancer at the nearest computer station. As if she obtains pure delight from her passionate clickety-clacks.

Nearby, in the Children's department, a pretty and still-idealistic looking librarian leads story-hour for a group of a dozen or so toddlers and their frazzled parents. The audience pays little attention, preferring to babble among themselves about princesses and cookies, boogers and stinky farts.

One small boy with huge blue eyes listens with rapt fascination to the reader. He reminded Duncan a bit of himself as a child. He had always had an excellent attention span.

Behind him, a doorway leads to a small copy room (he assumes from the swish-swish sounds of inkjet printers).

A geriatric woman who - going by her bleeding red lipstick, high pumps, and display of sun damaged-cleavage - still considers herself a vamp, abandons one of the workstations, and Sideburns moves to take her place, leaving Duncan first in line.

The nearest almond-painted metal shelf contains a collection of World Book Encyclopedias, which sets off a wave of nostalgia. As a child, he would spend hours flipping those golden-edged pages. On impulse, he snatches the letter 'F' from the shelf, caressing the burgundy leather. He opens the volume to a random page, inhaling that unmistakable encyclopedia scent, running his fingers across the slick, glossy pages.

Surprisingly, Logan had not been immune to the siren's call of knowledge, either. Back before he discovered girls and sex, Logan had spent many a rainy afternoon with Duncan in his father's library. While Duncan had gravitated towards art and science, Logan had always been drawn to people - specifically, history's great thinkers. Duncan sighs at the wasted potential. Were Logan to ever actually apply himself, he could probably rule the world.

He flips to the book's entry for Florida, and spends a few minutes learning about the state.

He glances up at the sound of tiny running feet and hysterical giggles. One of the story-time munchkins, a boy of around two has made a run for it, trucking across the room in that stiff-legged manner of toddlers. He lets his exhausted mother nearly catch him before putting on a burst of speed and slipping out of her clutches. Duncan has to laugh. If that other child had reminded him of himself, this one is all Logan - not only because he’s hyperactive, but for the sheer joy he seems to derive from being ornery.

He returns his attention to the book, examining the maps of Florida and its Keys. Somebody nearby has the sniffles, and Duncan considers telling him or her about the benefits of ginger and olive leaf extract, but doesn’t want to lose his place in line.

Clickity-Clack finishes up, gathering her bag and papers, and flashing Duncan a shy smile as she walks away. There’s something appealing about her. She appeares both fresh-faced and edgy. The type of girl who would always tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not. It’s a shame they’re leaving Dallas so soon.

Her chair is still warm when he sits down. To the right of the monitor lay a stack of white scratch paper and a black metal cup full of sharpened half-pencils - another scent that always makes him nostalgic.

For the next forty minutes, following Veronica's instructions, he searches for jobs and apartments in the Chicago and Cleveland areas, taking the occasional note or sending pages to the printer.

Finally, he brings up his own Gmail account and sends off emails to his mother, his father, a few relatives, Shelly, and a couple other schoolmates he might be considered close to in the public eye.

Since the emails will be traced, he can’t say anything important, instead, going with the generic,  _Everything's-fine-I'm-healthy-don't-worry-about-me._

He stops in the copy room to retrieve his printouts, halting in the doorway on the way out, just in time to avoid being run down by Little Logan who’s once again making a break for it.

He wonders if children are in his future. Will he ever find somebody he can love? He's loved Veronica since he was twelve years old. Will anybody ever be able to take her place in his heart? He sure as hell hopes so.

Near the main entrance, he notices a room with a Book Sale sign. He allows himself a few moments to browse, and ends up purchasing two drawing books, a book on natural nutrition, and a book about the human body. For Logan, he picks up a book of quotations and biographies on DaVinci, Franklin, Shakespeare, and Churchill. He had no clue what Veronica is into these days, but leaves with a handful of mystery novels, reasoning that one of them might end up reading them.

Ten minutes later, he parks at the Beachwood Place Mall, and prepares for a very long wait. Luckily, he has plenty of reading material.

 

 

 

 

* * *

Day Six  
Beachwood Place Mall  
Dallas, Texas

 

They spend the first hour doing recon.

Beachwood Place is a large two-level mall with a sprawling floor plan and a food court at its center.

"Logan!" Veronica snaps her fingers in front of his face as he stares wistfully at the Abercrombie store and he reluctantly keeps moving. He can’t help it if his clothing is making him miserable.

Logan is on the verge of melting, and not into a puddle of goo from Veronica's sweet sweet loving. More in the  _'remind-me-again-why-I'm-wearing-three-freaking-layers'_ kind of way. He’s tiring of the black baseball cap, and the rimless glasses still pinch the bridge of his nose. Back in his favorite khaki cargoes for the first time since leaving Neptune, he feels inexplicably infantile.

_Inexplicably? Not because a certain wishy-washy blonde made a comment about cargoes being for six year-olds who needed pockets for crayons and rocks and strings and frogs?_

Said blonde herself, has blended bits of Veronica 1.0 (a fuzzy pink sweater) with Veronica 2.0 (a denim mini-skirt and those butch black boots he can never take his eyes off). For disguise, she wears her horn-rimmed Velma glasses and that dog-ugly curly brown wig he thought he'd gotten rid of at the Sweet Dreams Motel. Logan smirks, knowing exactly how he’ll make her pay for wearing the hideous thing. But that will be for later.

Veronica's fingers tentatively reach for his hand, and he allows her to slip them into place between his, but there’s a stiffness and tension between them that hadn't been there before they'd kissed, and not just because she looks like the 'before' version in The Princess Diaries. Veronica seems almost over-eager to pretend nothing has changed.

Logan has no inclination to play that game. Things have changed. Everything has changed. He doesn’t want to be her – what had she called him? her platonic fugitive traveling companion – and he doesn’t want to be her friend. He might be okay with it, were she truly indifferent to him, but she wants him too. He just  _knows_  it.

The tap-tapping of Veronica's boots on the marble floor makes a pleasant rhythm, as they stroll through the mall, past storefronts with big, colorful, 'Biggest Sale Of The Year' signs.

Occasionally, Veronica tugs on his hand, pulling his ear to her mouth and whispering the locations of video cameras. He resents that she isn’t more careful to keep her lips from brushing his ear – her warm breath is already enough torture – but he responds by dutifully marking an asterisk on their mall map before refolding and shoving it in his pocket.

Soft Rock music plays from hidden speakers - currently, Billy Joel's 'Just The Way You Are'. Were his father here instead of Veronica, he'd probably be singing along under his breath. Aaron's habit of singing the elevator music at malls and grocery stores is one of the few father-related thoughts that trigger a positive reaction in Logan's physiology rather than tension.

When he was little, his dad would sing to him, putting on hammy performances in the kitchen with over the top facial expressions and arm gestures while Logan giggled in hysterics. It hadn't all been bad times. Aaron Echolls was capable of tenderness as well as viciousness. Tenderness as long as nobody challenged his narcissistic world-view. As long as his Cheerios remained piss-free, everything remained copacetic. Logan had caught himself missing the bastard once on this journey, but not enough to want to go home and get his ass beaten. Never again.

Were his father here with him now, instead of Veronica, three or four fans might stop them and ask for an autograph.

Things will be much different today. Aaron Echolls has never spammed the online forums with advance notice of a mall appearance.

 

 

 

  
Dallas-area N3 fans. Just saw Logan and Veronica! See attached photo as proof. They're here in town, and I heard them talking about going to the Beachwood Place Mall at 4:30 P.M. Spread the word. Text your friends but don't tell your parents. Let's show them how much we love and support them.

 

Giggling Fangirls and Veronica clones are already beginning to congregate in small groups around the mall.

_Shouldn't they still be in school?_

Not a single one of them aims a second-glance at Logan and Veronica. Veronica's ugly wig worked like a 'Do-not-look-at-me' sign. Maybe it’s a good thing she had kept the damn eyesore after all.

They stop at JC Penny to purchase an outfit for each of them. Logan had been resistant at first, but Veronica had been right, as usual, when she'd insisted no helpful salespeople would be in their faces. He has to laugh at the idea that they'd based their shopping decision on where they could get the worst service. At the register, Veronica asks for the largest size handled shopping-bag and a second one for Logan's purchases.

"We still have a lot of shopping to do," she explains.

They make a quick stop at a hobby store, purchasing a sketchpad and a box of art pencils for Duncan.

The food court is nearby, and Logan smirks when he catches a whiff of the buttery fresh-bread aroma of the soft pretzel stand. He silently counts.

_One Mississippi...Two Mississippi...Three Mississippi...Four Missi-_

"Do you smell that?" Veronica asks, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "In the mood for a pretzel?"

"Not even five seconds. Sure."

After placing her order, Veronica begins digging through her purse.

Logan stops her with a hand on her arm. "I've got it."

"We're not on a date, Logan," she says.

"That's okay."

He smiles, almost asking her if she would like to go on one sometime, when she has to go and ruin it: "Save it for Carolann."

And he shuts right back down again.

 

The mall has three security guards on duty. The first one they come across is a short, slim man with light brown skin and almond-shaped eyes. They nickname him The Goat for the tuft of hair on his chin.

They tail him on his rounds, snacking on warm salty pretzels and Caramel Macchiatos. He’s a competent guard, but comes across as bored - or possibly weary.

Logan marks his path on the mall map with lines and arrows, their starting time and the total elapsed time. After which, they follow him for a second rotation to ensure his route and total time remain consistent.

They repeat the process for the other two guards.

The Tank - nicknamed for his stocky physique - keeps his blond hair in a crew cut, has a small mustache and nearly invisible eyelashes. He comports himself with a military-like discipline. They’ll have to be wary of this one.

The third guard is tall and wiry with dark hair and eyes and a movie-star smile. They nickname him Don Juan, as he lingers in the doorway of every other store flirting with the sales girls. He’ll be a wild card, as his rotation timing is anything but consistent.

Tucked away in a corner of the ground floor near Sears is a long hallway. With the cheap commercial grade linoleum and the harsh, florescent light fixtures, Logan would have assumed the mall had exceeded their decorating budget - that is, if malls all over the country didn't have these same types of hallways.

_There must be some type of 'one-ugly-hall-per-mall' law or something._

Halfway down the hall to their right, a water fountain is mounted between the Ladies Room and the Men's Room.

"Good, no cameras." Veronica says, tugging his hand and pulling him to the end of the hallway. Straight ahead, is an emergency exit, and on the left wall is a gray-painted steel door. She turns to this door, trying the handle, and finding it locked.

"So this is the...awkward...part," she says, looking up at Logan with embarrassed eyes.

"Awkward how?"

"I have to pick this lock, and we have no reasonable explanation for standing near the mop closet."

"Inconvenient, but not awkward."

Veronica offers him an apologetic smile. "We need to look like we're into each other.  _Very_  into each other."

"Oh...That should be real tough."

"Stand here," Veronica says grasping him by his upper arms and maneuvering him so his left hip touched the gray door, and blocks her from view. She moves his right hand to rest on the small of her back, and pulls his face down to her shoulder.

He keeps his body rigid, refusing to sink into her. Refusing to breathe her in. He’s a human shield here, nothing more.

_How am I not be used to this already? We sleep together every night._

_But she doesn't wear her perfume every day. Her sexy, intoxicating perfume._

_Wait. Why is she wearing it today? The day after the kiss she doesn't want to repeat?_

Her face and hands now hidden from view, she pulls her lockpick set from her bag, and begins working on the lock.

"If anybody comes…" she starts.

"I know what to do," he answers, smirking into her shoulder.

Logan listens to the little clinks of metal upon metal, while he tries to harden his heart against Veronica. It had been so much easier last year, fueled by death and rage and guilt and alcohol. Did he mention guilt? But that was before they had kissed. A sick feeling in his gut tells him that kiss had been a life-changer. He’ll never be free of Veronica now.

The whine of hinges alerts Logan that somebody is coming out of the Men's Room.

"Showtime!" he whispers, and Veronica lets out a tiny squeak as he pulls her snugly against him.

He turns them, pressing his back against the gray door and kisses her neck under her ear. The moment she shivers under his lips, he knows he’s lost his battle to remain detached. His hands brace her tiny waist as he kisses his way down to that spot that never fails to get a reaction out of her, and impulsively swirls his tongue over it. Veronica whimpers, one hand going to the back of his neck to press, pull, drag him closer. The lockpick digs into his leg as her other hand squeezes the back of his thigh.

_Fuck!_

In his peripheral vision, he sees a large teenage jock-type exiting the bathroom.

Logan's hands slide down over her ass and pull her even closer as his lips find the hollow of her throat. His ears register the sound of her quickened breathing, which only encourages him to up the intensity. Veronica's head drops back, and her free hand moves to curl around his shoulder blade.

"Go for it, dude!" Jock-boy chuckles as he walks away wiping his hands on the sides of his jeans.

Logan shifts a hand momentarily from Veronica's butt to give the guy a thumbs-up,

"Logan."

"Hmmmm?"

"You can stop. He's gone."

"Okay," he says, kissing his way along her jawline.

Veronica allows a few more seconds before pressing her hands to his chest and taking a step backwards.

Logan waits for the shoe to drop. Even with the fugly wig, she’s beautiful with her face all flushed like that.

He watches the gears turning in her head. Watches the mask snap back into place as she convinces herself it was all a performance. She glances down at her hand and seems surprised to find she’s still clutching the lockpick. With a quick peek down the hallway, she grabs Logan by both sides of his sweater, turns him 45 degrees to block her, and crouches down putting the doorknob at eye level. She has the lock picked within a minute, and is pulling Logan into the mop closet.

 

The small space smells of pine-scented cleaner, and, after he flicks the light switch, looks like the kind of place Freddy Krueger would call home. A stainless steel sink with an attached counter faces the door. Several rolling mop buckets with ringers line one wall, next to a stack of yellow caution signs. Industrial shelving holds gallon-sized jugs of commercial grade cleaners, packaged stringy mop heads, and a thousand rolls of toilet paper.

Veronica is glaring at him now. "You could have just  _pretended_  to kiss me."

Logan shrugs and points a thumb at himself. "Method actor."

"Licking my neck wasn't in the script."

"I ad-libbed," he says, dryly. "I could tell how much you hated it."

"You grabbed my butt!" Veronica says, slapping him on the arm, but he can tell she isn't overly upset.

"What? My hands and your butt are like...well acquainted by now. They've hung out three times already."

"Your point?"

"So, it's conquered territory. I'm practically grandfather-claused."

Veronica sighs. "What? Are you some kind of butt guy?"

"I'm an  _everything_  guy - butts, breasts, legs. But Butts are easiest. They're like a gateway grope."

Veronica's lips twitches in amusement. "Because they lead to harder and dirtier gropes?"

"I was going to use the words 'more addictive'," A slow grin slides across his face. "But dirty is good. Hard is better."

That one gets a laugh out of her.

Logan spreads out the mall map on a shelf. "You don't think we'll get busted by the cleaning people?"

"No, the main mop closet is over by the food court. They probably only use this one to keep the restrooms stocked and clean up nearby messes."

Veronica nudges him aside, and takes over, running her finger along the paths he'd marked on the map.

"So...the security guards cover every area of the mall except for this stretch right here…" she circles an unmarked section on the map between the food court and a pair of escalators. "But we'll have camera coverage. Right here is where we make our stand."

"Make our stand? Like Jesse James?" Logan arches a brow.

"Or Bonnie and Clyde," she smiles softly.

"You know...Bonnie and Clyde were lovers," Logan points out. "We have another um...fifteen minutes to kill if you want to go for the full B&C experience."

"How could I ever resist an offer like that?" she asks with an eye roll.

Veronica peels off her fuzzy pink sweater, revealing her snug black printed tee shirt below, and drops it into one of the large JC Penney bags. Her wig and glasses follow shortly.

Logan pauses from pulling off his own black sweater to stare at Veronica.

"What?" she asks, noticing his gaze.

"Nothing,"

_Only that you look like My Veronica again._

Logan tosses his hat and glasses into the shopping bag followed by his black sweater.

"So, do I look like me again?" Veronica asks.

"Almost." Logan approaches, reaching out to finger style her hair, bending the ends up and around his thumbs. It falls flat the moment he lets go. Probably needs hairspray or something to make it stay.

While he’s standing there, Veronica reaches for his top button, popping it from its hole. "Logan Echolls wears his shirts unbuttoned," she says, efficiently working her way down the front of his shirt. Her actions are innocent, as he’s wearing an orange printed tee shirt underneath, but the sight of Veronica undressing him is starting to get him hard – he has to look away.

"There you go," she says, popping the final button and pushing open the shirt, smoothing the hem of his tee shirt. Her gaze rises to his. She must see something in his eyes, as she turns away in embarrassment.

"I could get used to you undressing me," Logan says softly.

"Don't hold your breath," Veronica answers, moving away to stash their two shopping bags on a shelf behind a mountain of toilet paper. "You ready?"

"No, I'm a nervous wreck. What's the prison sentence for aiding and abetting?"

"We'll be fine," Veronica says with false bravado. She does something to the doorjamb to prevent it from locking and then steps out into the hallway.

"C'mon," she calls over her shoulder, and Logan joins her.

"Showtime," he says, linking his fingers to hers.

"Logan and Veronica wouldn't hold hands," Veronica whispers as they stepped out into the mall corridor. He notices she doesn’t try to pull hers away.

"Really?" he asks, leaning over to speak in her ear. "I'm Logan, you're Veronica, and I had my mouth on your neck a few minutes ago. Now I want to hold your hand."

"People will think we're together."

"Hate to break it to you, but the whole world thinks we're together, Veronica."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Nope."

"Duncan's part of the whole world," Veronica reminds him.

"Damn. Thanks for the reminder," Logan says guiltily, and drops her hand.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Beachwood Place Mall**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

They duck into the nearby Barnes and Noble following the green signs to the travel section. The combination of Edwin McCain's  _'I'll Be'_  playing overhead with the rich aroma from the in-store Starbucks, conspires to give Veronica the warm and fuzzies, and she allows herself to lean into Logan while they glance-over the shelves, as if they were their engaged alter-egos, rather than the real deal.

They arrive at the checkout with a handful items for purchase: City Guides for Chicago and Cleveland, a DVD on self-defense, a 'C# For Beginners' programming book, and an 11th grade homeschooling curriculum book.

According to plan, Logan hands over his black Amex. Right before the cashier - a mousy woman in her fifties - has a chance to swipe it, Veronica calls out. "No! Lo, you need to pay with cash." She flashes an apologetic smile at the older lady. "We're trying to pay down our debt."

As expected, the cashier surreptitiously glances down at the name on the card - eyes widening slightly - before handing it back to Logan. He pays with cash, and the cashier examines their book titles while bagging their purchases.

Logan waits while Veronica runs back to the mop closet to stash their bags. When she returns, they walk slowly to the food court like two pied pipers. Fangirls in small groups fall in behind them, hanging back and whispering among themselves.

"So explain to me why we did that," Logan asks as they walk. "We wanted the cops to know what we were purchasing, so why didn't we use the credit card."

"Because I'm known for being fairly intelligent. As a PI, I would know that credit card purchases are traced. If we tried using the credit card to send the search up North, the cops would know it was a set-up."

"And the homeschool book and DVDs?"

"Buys sympathy from the cashier. Show her that we still care about our education and only want to defend ourselves. It was working. I could see sympathy in her eyes. She'll tell the police what we purchased, but she'll wait for them to come to her rather than calling them right away."

Logan leans over and whispers in her ear, his warm breath making her shiver. "You're hot when you're devious." Butterflies loop-de-loop in her belly.

From behind, comes the giggles of fangirls. Logan snickers and wraps his arm around her waist. The laughter turns into squeals, and even Veronica can’t resist a laugh.

"So what was the computer book for?" Veronica asks.

"There's this guy at school. Ryan something. Not an 09er. Not even a friend, but I had detention with him one day. He was telling me how he makes decent cash doing freelance computer work. He mentioned this C Sharp stuff and some sites where you can get jobs. Said it was easy to learn. Strange guy, but I kind of admired him. Never really expected I'd have to worry about making a living, but if it gets me out of doing manual labor..."

"Good idea," Veronica says. "Can't have you roughing up those baby soft hands." She actually blushes at the implication of her words.

"Don't worry, I'll keep my hands nice and soft...just for you, Sweet pea."

They purchase sodas and cookies and move to the location they selected earlier on the map.

Opposite the food court, two tall escalators - one going up, one coming down are separated by an extra-wide multi-tiered fountain. Each fountain tier waterfalls down to the next tier -alternating from the left, right, or center, retaining walls regulating the flow.

They take their places at the foot of the fountain, sitting on the edge, his arm drawing her close. She locates the camera pointed right at them. The camera that will prove to the world that Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars are in Dallas, Texas rather than Orlando, Florida.

She wishes they had time for a full lunch. The aromas nearby are mouthwatering - grilling meat, spices, fresh-cut French fries, bourbon chicken, and pizza. But it’s only a matter of minutes until someone will approach.

Her chocolate chip cookie is still warm, and she almost moans in pleasure as the chips melt on her tongue. Logan is smirking at her, so she leans closer and steals a bite of his oatmeal raisin cookie. Squeals erupt nearby.

"You always want what you can't have," Logan says, shaking his head in amusement.

Veronica shrugs. "Human nature,"

"You can't have me," he teases with his trademark eyebrow bob.

"I could have you with the snap of my fingers."

"That goes both ways, Ronnie," he reaches for her hand and tries to make her snap her fingers. Camera flashes go off as Veronica laughs and shoves him away.

A group of three fangirls work up the nerve to approach, and Logan stands up.

"Are you them?" their spokesperson, a tall long-haired redhead of about fourteen, asks.

"Nope, we're  _us_ ," Logan answers with a smirk.

"You're Logan and Veronica," she pushes.

"Maybe," Logan says. "Are you guys cops?"

The girls giggle, and two more groups approach.

"It's really them!" a short heavyset girl of around thirteen shrieks.

"Wow! Did you all know we were going to be here or something?" Logan asks with a straight face.

"Somebody heard you talking and posted it on the Internet, but it was mostly word of mouth at school," the tall redhead answers.

Girls (and a few boys) close in from all directions. Veronica scans the crowd, seeing every sort of emotion on the faces. A few play it cool. Some seem to be amused by their fellow fans. Others range from mildly happy to excited to overwhelmed. A few are downright rapturous, hysterical tears falling down their faces. Most just stare at Logan as if they want to eat him alive. Veronica finds herself feeling territorial and stands up to stand next to him.

Logan is to Veronica's left, and the fountain is at her back. A heavy weight of claustrophobia presses down on her chest, as girls start cutting off her escape route to the right. As always, Logan seems to sense that she’s not okay. His arm goes around her neck tucking her close against his side. "It'll be okay," he says in her ear. The fangirls squeal at the physical gesture.

"Hey!" Logan calls out raising his hand to get their attention. He has to let out a loud whistle before they quiet. "We'll stay and talk to you for a few minutes, but only if you don't block us in." He points to the girls on Veronica's right and makes a 'move back' gesture. "Veronica has been through a lot and she's uncomfortable being surrounded." The crowd on that side reluctantly moves back.

Voices call out from every direction: "Oh my God, I can't believe it's really you ...He's even cuter in person...Where is Duncan?"

"DK's running an errand," Logan answers. "We'll catch up with him later." Veronica takes advantage of his distraction to steal the rest of his oatmeal raisin cookie.

"Why are you here at the mall?...Veronica, are you with Logan or Duncan."

"Neither," Veronica answers to the disappointment of the crowd. They begin calling out their preferences - Duncan or Logan – with Logan the clear favorite.

They had counted on maybe twenty to twenty-five witnesses, but there have to be at least a hundred people here, and one out of every four is a Veronica clone. Had there been any question before whether she'd become a trend setter, one glance at the crowd, with its denim skirts and boots – biker boots, riding boots, combat boots – should answer the question.

_Funny, a year ago, nobody at school would even speak to me."_

Hands grabbed at Logan, and he does an admirable job of keeping his cool, but slaps away any hands reaching for Veronica.

"How long will you keep running?...Do you still love Duncan?"

"No. He was my first love, but I'm not  _in_  love with him anymore."

"How does that man keep finding you?...Are you going to stay here in Dallas?"

"No, we're just passing through," Logan answers.

"Logan, do you know Connor Larkin?"

A _'_ _for real?'_  expression shows in Logan's eyes as he glances at Veronica. "Yes, he's a douchebag. Next question?"

"Do you want to be a movie star like your dad?"

"No, not even a little bit." he flinches and jumps to the side a bit.

_What the hell! Did that girl just grab his butt? Why do I have a sudden urge to bare my teeth and growl, while hissing 'Mine!'?_

"Where are you going next?"

"We can't tell you that. One of you might be a cop." Logan says.

The crowd scrutinizes each other with eyes full of suspicion.

"What brand is that tee shirt, Veronica?"

"I have no idea. Sorry."  _Who really cares, anyway?_

"What brand is that perfume?"

"Promises," Logan answers for her.

_He remembers the name of my perfume?_

"Veronica, do you still want to be a P.I.?...Are you and Logan together?"

"No, Ronnie's fighting it," Logan says, sighing tragically.

_Fighting it? Really? You want to hash this out now?_

Veronica elbows him as the fangirls squee.

A girl pushes through, and throws her arms around Logan. He gives her an awkward one-armed pat and then pushes her back into the crowd, pulling Veronica in front of him, and wrapping his arms around her. "Protect me V from the rabid fangirls," he says in her ear.

"Logan, do you want to be with Veronica?"

"Um...Look at her. What do you think?" he says, as if it were an obvious conclusion. "I'll wear her down eventually."

The squealing gets louder.

"Have you two ever kissed?"

"Yes." Logan says, and the squealing turns into screams.

"It wasn't like that," Veronica insists, raising her hands, after the noise dies down. "There were cops and we kissed as a diversion."

"Don't let her fool you," Logan says. "She loved every second of it."

"Did you love it, Logan?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to kiss again?"

"Yes," Logan answers, nodding for emphasis. Veronica remains silent, but considers pummeling Logan.

Logan speaks in her ear. "You look like you're ready to bite, and not in the fun, sexy way,"

"How very perceptive of you," Veronica says through gritted teeth.

"These girls are our allies," he whispers. "They want this to be some great romance. We give them what they want; they'll give us what we want."

"So this is just a ploy?"

"Sure," Logan grins giving her a loud smacking kiss on the cheek. The crowd goes wild with screams.

_Okay, so he may have a point._

Veronica pastes on her warmest smile and gazes at up Logan with soft eyes. She can play along.

"Are you two in love?"

"I'm not touching that one," Logan laughs.

"Veronica, who's the better kisser? Duncan or Logan?"

_Oh hell! HELL!_

"Um…it wouldn't be fair to either boy for me to answer that question," she says, diplomatically, while pointing at Logan below his sightline.

Squees erupted from the crowd, as Logan leans over to whisper in her ear. "Did you forget your name when Duncan kissed you?"

Veronica smiles brightly, and pinches him hard on the side of his leg, twisting her fingers.

"Ouch!" he screams.

Logan raises one hand to get everybody's attention. "Hey! Listen! Put whatever you want on your message boards and forums, but NOTHING about me and Veronica" he gestures to the way she’s nestled against him "gets repeated to the press. Okay? Duncan Kane is still my best friend, and I don't want him to get hurt if this never ends up going anywhere."

"Veronica, why are you fighting it? He's perfect!"

"Um…well  _he_  would certainly agree with that assessment."

"Why, Veronica?"

"Because we can't risk the friendship. We need each other too much." Logan's arms tighten around her for a moment, and maybe she’s putting her own spin on it, but she feels that he’s offering her his understanding.

Logan becomes distracted, looking over the heads of the crowd. "We have trouble. We stayed too long," he says.

"Where," Veronica asks. She rises to her tiptoes, but the crowd blocks her view.

Logan points, and picks her up by the waist, lifting her to the ledge of the fountain. A security guard - Don Juan - is talking into his radio and staring intently.

"Damn," she says. "This area isn't even on his rounds."

"Unless he skipped it earlier. He hardly seemed the type to follow the rules," he answers.

"Girls!" Logan whistles and waves his hands again, beckoning them closer once he has their attention. "Security is looking at us. I don't know if he knows who we are or not."

The crowd starts getting loud and Logan motions them to silence again. "We need you guys to do two things for us: One, get in the way of the security guards to keep them away from us and the escalators, and two, open every emergency exit in this fucking mall. Get those alarms going!"

The fangirls go wild cheering, and Logan lifts Veronica off the ledge of the fountain, taking her hand.

"Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars?" Don Juan yells out as he approaches. "I need you to come with me."

"Damn!" Veronica says.

"You guys know what to do!" Logan calls as they run to the escalator.

 

It’s too late to turn around when they realize they’re on the down escalator. Behind them, the crowd blocks their way.

Veronica watches over her shoulder while allowing Logan to pull her up the stairs. The security guard approaches the foot of the escalator, but fangirls swarm him, pushing him back. Holding him back.

"Wow! Logan, you were right. They stopped him," she says.

"But who's going to stop him?" Logan asks.

Veronica's head whips around. They’ve passed the halfway point and a second security guard - The Tank is coming down from above them. "Turn around!"

"We'll never get through that mob, V," Logan says, and before she could respond, he vaults over the side rail onto the skinny concrete ridge that separates the fountain from the escalator, and is reaching for her.

The Tank is descending quickly, so Veronica puts her hands on Logan shoulders and allows him to swing her over the moving railing.

"It's slippery," he warns stepping out onto the blue and white ceramic tile ledge. "Block the other escalator!" he shouts to fangirls below with a sweeping gesture, and a handful of them break off from the swarm to surround the foot of the  _Up_  escalator.

Veronica holds Logan's hand with a death grip as they carefully negotiate the balance beam width ledge. To her left, the fountain is about knee-deep with submersed yellow lights. To her right, a five foot drop to the next lowest tier. A fall would probably cause her to crack her head open on the sharp corner of that tier's wall, or she'd flip over the edge and fall another five feet. Either way, serious damage.

Logan seems to be doing okay, but Veronica's boots can’t seem to get any traction and keep slipping. Halfway across, Veronica's right foot slips over the ledge, and her heart jumps to her throat as she feels herself about to fall. Suddenly, her face is pressed up against Logan's chest and his arms are crushing her.

"I've got you," he says.

"You always do." Veronica stares up at him with wide grateful eyes. Dozens of flashbulbs go off from below, causing them both to grin.

"I always will," Logan braces her face with his hands, and presses a kiss to her forehead - eliciting more screams and flashbulbs from below.

If Veronica had to put a name to her emotion…a strange combination of being moved beyond words, somehow wanting to cry, wanting to kiss him, wanting to curl up next to him in bed until they’re both 85 years old...no, she won’t go there.

Logan swings her up into his arms. Flashbulbs explode by the hundreds.

"Logan, put me down. Are you crazy?" Veronica demands, but keeps the squirming to a minimum.

"Relax. I'm like a cat," he grins, and strolls the rest of the ledge with no more trouble than a Sunday walk.

He stops where the ledge ends. A two and a half foot opening allows water to flow down to the next level. Logan turns and sets Veronica down. With his long legs, he easily hops across the opening to the concrete ridge turning back for Veronica, holding out his hand.

Veronica freezes. Before her, the opening is only a step down, but the water rushes over the edge too quickly to walk across. The ledge is slippery enough, and she isn’t sure if she can make the jump.

"V, behind you!"

She glances over her shoulder. The Tank has hopped over the side of the escalator and is now following them across the ledge. "Stop. Come back over here immediately!" he shouts.

"I'll catch you, Veronica." Logan leans over the opening and holds out his hand. The Tank seems to be having the same problems keeping his footing as Veronica had, but he’s gradually closing in on her.

"Trust me," Logan says staring into her eyes. Veronica hesitates. As she leans to reach for his hand, an alarm goes off. She jumps back, teetering on the edge for what feels like three minutes before regaining her balance.

_Damn. Forgot about the emergency doors._

"He's about to catch you!"

Veronica reaches across for his hand again as The Tank reaches for her shirt. The moment their fingertips touch, Logan gives a yank and yells "JUMP!"

The next thing she knows, she’s in Logan's arms, with her legs wrapped around his waist and her face buried in his neck.

"Shhhh," he whispers. "It's okay. You're safe."

She nods against his shoulder.

"You need to let me put you down for a second," Logan says.

"Okay." She doesn’t move.

"Your legs are around my waist."

"Oh…" Veronica says, unwrapping her legs, and sliding down his body until her feet touch the ledge. She looks over her shoulder to find the security guard splashing around in the fountain, tugging at his pants, which seemed to be caught on the fountain apparatus.

Logan's warm hands clasp Veronica's waist and lift her over the escalator railing. He’s about leap over himself, when The Tank breaks free and grabs him by the ankle. Logan tries to tug his foot away, but the man has a tight grip.

Veronica has to tread down the 'up' steps as she digs through her bag, finally handing her taser to Logan. The Tank's eyes grow large and he dives backwards to get away, landing on his butt in the water. Logan hands the taser back to Veronica and leaps the railing.

Dozens of fangirls start up the escalator after them. "Block him!" Logan calls down to them.

"You realize tasing him would have killed both of us, right?" He asks, as he grabs Veronica's hand and begins climbing the escalator at a fast clip. "You know, the water?"

"Yeah, but it did the job, didn't it?" Veronica answers, breathlessly as he pulls her into a run the moment their feet hit the second floor. They know there’s one more security guard - The Goat - to account for, and she’d seen Don Juan calling for backup on his radio.

 

A second alarm goes off somewhere below them. Veronica's boots clicked on the marble floor as they sprint past The Gap, The Body Shop, Foot Locker, and The Limited. A glance over her shoulder shows her that they have an escort of around thirty girls keeping up behind them.

"It's like the running of the bulls," she yells to Logan, who glances over his shoulder as well.

"Except that bulls will only gore you with their horns," Logan yells back. "Who knows what those girls would do to me."

 _His clothes would go quickly,_  she thinks.  _And that would be nice._

Three more emergency door alarms join in, as they run past Things Remembered, Sunglass Hut, and the overpowering synthetic cinnamon smell of Yankee Candle.

Veronica's lungs are on fire. She’s never been a runner. In fact, she hates most forms of exercise.

As they draw near the intersection of another main corridor to the right, they see The Goat approaching at a full-on run.

_So much for unmotivated._

Veronica looks behind to gauge how close their followers are. If they stop now, would the girls catch up in time to intercept the guard?

Instead, Logan veers to the left into Dillards.

The second floor appears to consist entirely of Women's Apparel. Logan zigzags them through a maze of clothing racks, but the sound of feet bears down upon them.

"Stop immediately! You're wanted by the police," The Goat yells.

Veronica looks back, and sees that the guard is closer than she’d realized, with the fangirls a good distance back still.

Logan releases her hand. "Keep running," he yells. He begins snagging garments off the racks as he runs by.

She glances over her shoulder every few seconds, as Logan slows down. Her throat goes dry with panic as the guard closes the distance to Logan, who for his part is throwing sequined evening gowns at his pursuer. The first three fall to the ground, but the fourth, a full-length gold lamé number that would make a drag queen proud, lands on the guard's head, obstructing his vision. Logan pushes over a silver rack just in time for the guard to trip over it and go sprawling to the floor.

Veronica stops, ducking behind a clothing rack to watch the fangirls catch up and swarm around The Goat.

"We love you guys!" Logan calls to the girls, blowing them a big dramatic kiss.

Veronica pulls her head back, leaning over, hands on her knees, breathing deeply and allowing her lungs to rest, her heart to slow, and her pulse to settle.

The sound of running feet draws near, and Veronica straightens up in time to see Logan running past dragging an ecstatic Veronica clone behind him.

"Um...Logan?" Veronica calls, but he doesn’t hear her. She raises her voice. "LOGAN!"

He halts, turning back to look at Veronica, and then at the fangirl still attached to his hand. "Who the hell are you?"

"Brittney!" the girl giggles.

"Right...Nice to meet you, Brittney. Now run along," Logan says, jogging back and reaching for the real Veronica's hand this time.

They avoid the escalator and elevator, instead locating the back stairwell and taking it to the ground floor.

Stealthily weaving in and out of racks, they navigate the store until they've located the mall entrance.

Cosmetics is too well lit, so they had to make a run for it, almost knocking down a perfume lady who thinks it might be a good idea to step into the path of a running couple.

"Would you like to sample our new Paris Hilton perfume?" she asks, before her eyes grew large. They aren't stopping.

The bottle goes skittering out in front of them, breaking into a thousand pieces, and for all that the security guards could not stop them, Veronica and Logan are almost brought down by the toxic gases of nauseating cheap perfume as they splash through the puddle.

Moments later, they’re out in the mall, gasping for fresh air.

"That stuff was NASTY," Veronica moans.

"No shit. It smelled like the crap that slut Caitlin used to wear."

"That should have been your first clue, Logan."

 

Glancing around at both levels, there’s no sign of fangirls or the two security guards from the fountain.

Straight ahead at the end of the corridor is J.C. Penny. Halfway between here and there, a corridor to the left leads to Sears and their mop closet.

Once more, they break into a run, taking the left hand turn wide.

They screech to a halt as they come face-to-face with a fourth security guard.

"Where the hell did this guy come from?" Logan whispers, pulling Veronica behind him as the guard lifts his radio to his mouth.

 


	20. Day Six - Facets of Lilly

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Beachwood Place Mall - Parking Lot**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Despite the obnoxious peals from the alarms on nearby emergency exit doors and police sirens some distance away, the gentle breeze makes keeping the windows open a pleasure.

Duncan has always possessed a unique ability to tune out the world, and has spent the previous hour immersed in his new mystery novel. Every so often, he reaches for his pineapple/coconut fruit smoothie, while reading the story of a teenaged barista who finds a human hand in the coffeehouse dumpster. Occasionally, he’ll glance at the screen of the disposable cell they’d picked up this morning. No texts. No missed calls.

He smells her before he hears her - something sultry, spicy and Oriental. Something Lilly.

"Whatcha doing, Donut?" she asks in her singsong voice.

"Lilly."

His sister sits in the passenger seat of Peggy's truck, right ankle curled beneath her, left leg swinging idly. Blood congeals on the left side of her skull, and he catches a hint of copper on the light breeze blowing through the open windows.

He folds a sheet of scratch paper, sharpening the crease with his thumbnail before slipping it between the pages to mark his place.

A brittle laugh escapes him. "It's official. I'm losing my mind."

Lilly's palms turn up, in a _'_ _ no-argument-here _ _'_ gesture. "You just might be, Dunc, but that's unrelated to my presence. I've been trying to get through to you for a long long time."

"Get through how?"

"The usual…phone, email, text message. How do you think? I'm a ghost. Those pills have kept you from seeing me."

He passes a hand over his eyes. "The Doc warned me about hallucinations."

"Hallucinations? Do I look like a hallucination to you?"

"Lilly, I can see part of your brain matter, so yeah. Pretty much."

"Well that's not very nice. I think I look... _ peppy _ !" Lilly flips down the visor mirror and checks her appearance, reapplying a sparkly pink lip-gloss she pulls from her shorts pocket. The sound of police sirens draws closer.

"So...you're here…why?" Duncan prods. "Not that I'm not happy to see you."

"Oh...right...the beyond the grave wisdom." Lilly says, closing the visor and turning to her brother. "You know I always loved you, right?"

_ I know you tolerated me for Logan and Veronica. _ "Um...sure…"

"I'm worried about you, Duncan."

"Because of the blackout?"

"No, I mean because of the giant stick up your ass."

"Better than what you've had up yours."

Lilly's eyes sparkle with good humor as she tilts her head with a grin. "Jealous?"

"You know..." He rubs his chin thoughtfully, "The meds are looking more appealing by the minute."

"Funny," Lilly says. "I've noticed your attempts at humor lately. Better late than never." Another emergency door alarm joins the cacophony of noise pouring in through the open windows. "So, what are the odds that's related to Logan and Veronica?"

"Who else?" Duncan shrugs. "The first one scared the hell out of me, but every minute another one goes off. Somehow, I think they've talked their _'_ _ fans _ _'_ into helping them."

"You're jealous," Lilly says with a growing smile.

"That they have more fans than me? What do I care? I've never liked attention much."

"You're jealous because they're playing Badass Action Couple, and you're stuck out here playing chauffeur."

"Maybe..." Duncan answers, aware that he may be pouting a bit. "I guess. I just hate them thinking I'm useless in a crises."

"In their defense, you did go  _ all-systems-down _  during the last crises, but I think what you really hate is how close they've become."

"It's fine." Duncan sighs and stares out the window. "Situations like this tend to bring people closer."

"You know we were only borrowing them, Duncan," Lilly says, with an unaccustomed gentleness.

He turns back to her, eyes wide. "Logan lived for you, Lilly."

"Eh…He liked to think so."

"But you didn't believe him?"

"He said he loved me a million times, but his eyes...they always followed her." She lets out a weary sigh, which strikes Duncan as odd. What reason would a ghost (or hallucination) have to be weary? "You know, I purposely got between them in the beginning. I thought he would break her heart. Maybe this...adventure...is the universe's way of righting what went wrong."

Duncan's head drops back onto the headrest, and he lets out a frustrated laugh. "What are you trying to say, Lilly? Logan and Veronica are some kind of star-crossed lovers the evil Kane siblings kept apart for nefarious purposes?"

Lilly shrugs. "I may have worded it a bit less eloquently, but yeah, sure."

"Logan  _ chose _  not to pursue anything with Veronica. I gave him two freaking  _ years _  to change his mind before I asked her out."

"Fucking."

"Huh?"

"Two  _ fucking _  years. It's okay to swear, Duncan. Dad and Celeste aren't going to jump out of the bushes to wash your mouth out with soap."

"Whatever" he laughs. "Nothing's going on between them. They were always physically close, even back when they were dating us. Remember all of the roughhousing? And those epic tickle battles?"

Lilly facepalms. "Duncan, he was in love with her and that was the only way he could get close to her. Even I knew that. Are you really that thickheaded?"

"About a month before you died, I asked Logan point-blank if he still had feelings for Veronica and he denied it."

"And you expected him to say what?  ' _ Duncan, I want to steal your girlfriend'? _ " Lilly pats him on the cheek. "Aren't you cute?"

"When I woke up in that motel they swore point-blank nothing was going on between them - twice. Then Logan went on a date with another girl last night. A very hot girl."

Lilly shakes her head. "You poor, naïve child."

"What do you want me to do? Schedule a daily checkpoint meeting in my day planner?" He makes checkmarks on an invisible clipboard. " _'_ _ Since yesterday's meeting, have you experienced any feelings towards each other that might be defined as stronger than fond? Have there been any lingering glances? Have you checked out her butt for more than the requisite three second appreciation glance?' _ "

Lilly smirks, and joined in.  _ "'any tents popping up in your shorts?', 'any damp panties?', 'what's really going on under those covers?'" _

Duncan cringes at her crudeness. "C'mon, Lil. If I were to push the issue, I'd come across like I'm obsessed. I have to trust that Logan is my best friend, and will tell me if anything changes."

"And you'll be okay with if it does?"

"Hell no!" Duncan says with a painful laugh, "But it would be worse if they tried to hide it from me."

The sirens draw near and three police cars fly past, each parking in the fire zone near the closest entrance.

"Oh hell!" Duncan bangs his hand on the steering wheel. He glances at the burner cell again, but there’s still nothing from Logan or Veronica. His pulse pounds in his throat and he finds himself gasping for air.

"No panicking, Duncan," Lilly says. "Deep breath in... Now let it out." She repeats her instructions several times.

His world stops spinning and his pulse begins to settle.

"Just ride it out and wait, Duncan. We can't assume Logan and Veronica were arrested until we see them being led to one of those cop cars."

Duncan reaches for his smoothie, taking a long drink, before smiling at his sister. "Thanks, Lil. For talking me down."

"That's what I'm here for," she says with a sweeping gesture. "Well...that, and to help you change your life."

"Who says I want to change my life?"

Lilly only raises a single eyebrow, coaxing a rueful smile from him.

"I have to hand it to you, I've already seen some positive changes in you. A few days out of the 'rents' clutches have made a difference. You have much further to go, of course."

"Like how?"

"Like start fucking  _ living _ _?_ Try  _ experiencing _  life. Swear like a sailor. Put down the spinach juice and pick up a juicy cheeseburger. Go out. Have fun. Dance on some tables. Bang a few chicks - and not in the perfunctory Shelly Pomroy kind of way."

"Wait. How do you know about Shelly? Lilly, were you watching?"

"Only for a few seconds, before I realized you had no clue what you were doing. You really need some practice Duncan. You didn't even take care of her needs." She grips his shoulder tightly. "Cardinal rule - the girl gets off first. Learn it. Memorize it. Live it."

"Oh. My. God." Duncan moans, covering his face with his hands. "My head is about to explode."

"Ask Logan. I'm sure he would be happy to provide you with some sex tips."

"Please leave."

"See...the difference between us? I lived to experience pleasure. You lived for duty and following orders. I can acknowledge now that I could have used a little duty and obedience in my life. But Duncan, when's the last time you experienced any real pleasure, and don't say Shelly Pomroy."

"Um…I don't know?"

"When's the last time you tasted something so delicious it made you want to cry? When's the last time something took your breath away? When's the last time you were so turned on you thought you would explode?"

"Ewwww...and...never."

"Not even with Veronica?"

"I respected her."

"Oh. My. God. Add that to the list of reasons you were all wrong for each other. You and Veronica were too much alike. You were both the even-tempered  ' _ voices-of-reason _ _'_ and all that annoying crap. You never even fought. You had absolutely no spark. I think you would have bored each other to death eventually. Who wants to live that way?"

"What's wrong with getting along?"

"Duncan, you need somebody who  _ challenges _  you." She says, her voice rising fervently. She grasps him by both shoulders and tries to shake some sense into him. "Somebody you feel a mad passion for, not just a pleasant respect. Look at the way Logan's treated Veronica the past year."

"Like he hated her guts?"

"Yes. Intensely. Passionately. What do you think that translates to?"

"Ugh. Just. Stop."

"I am. Really. Just...I love you, and I want to see you aim higher than  _ nice, pleasant, _ and _ peachy _ .  I want you to try out  _ exciting, thrilling, invigorating _ _,_ how about a good dose of  _ spine-tingling _ _?_ "

"Maybe I'm just not a passionate kind of person."

"Bullshit! You share blood with me. You just haven't found your passion yet."

Duncan shrugs. Dead or alive, there’s no arguing with his sister.

"Do me a favor, Duncan."

"What?" he asks, lifting his chin and looking up from lowered lids.

"Live like me a little bit. Every day, do at least one thing to make you feel more alive."

"I don't even know what you mean by that."

"You have five senses, right? Eat something spectacular, or listen to a song that makes you want to break things. Go into a coffee house and just inhale all of those aromas. Sight? I don't know - look at some art? Look at a hot girl? A hot  _ boy _ , maybe?" she winks. "What's the fifth sense? Touch? I can give you some advice on touch."

"Please don't."

"At least touch yourself. When's the last time you did that?"

"Stop!"

"Not here in the car, silly. That's only fun with a willing audience. But...you know…find yourself a little alone time. A box of Kleenex…"

Duncan covers his ears and squeezes his eyes closed. When he opens them back up, the car is empty.

He misses her immediately.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Veronica**  
**Beachwood Place Mall**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

They screech to a halt as they come face-to-face with a fourth security guard.

Veronica's eyes skitter in every direction, her always-calculating brain sizing up their surroundings. One security guard, two fugitives, zero fangirls to come to their rescue. The corridor is also empty of shoppers - whether because they had been drawn to the noise near the food court or the alarms have scared them away, she can't say. She searches the ceiling. No cameras pointed at their location.

Logan mumbles something and thrusts her behind him. He’s protective by nature, but while she appreciates the sentiment, she’d never allow him to go down without her. She moves back to his side.

Time seems to slow allowing her to catalog her senses. Door alarms clatter from every direction, and the aroma of caramel from the nearby popcorn stand makes her crazy hungry. She regrets not eating a full lunch while they'd still been disguised. And why is she thinking of food at a time like this?

The security guard is young, mid-twenties, rounded, and of medium height. His sandy hair is prematurely thinning on top and his thick-lensed glasses on his nose make him resemble an owl.

Logan's eyes narrow into slits.

The guard's eyes narrow in return.

Logan's fingers twitch at his side.

Always one to have inappropriate thoughts at the worst of times, Veronica had to stifle a laugh as her imagination supplies blowing tumbleweeds and the theme song to  ' _ The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' . _

In slow motion, The Owl lifts the radio to his mouth.

He depressed the trigger.

"All clear on the South quad. No sign of them here."

Logan jerks in surprise next to her, but Veronica takes another second to compute what just happened.

_ He's letting us go? _

Logan's expression is one of immense relief.

Veronica approaches the mall cop. "Thank you," she says, her eyes bright with gratitude. "Thank you so much!" On impulse, she braces his face between her palms and gave him a big smacking kiss on the lips. "I'll never forget this!"

The Owl blinks once. Twice. Three times.

"Thanks dude," Logan says, moving to Veronica's side. "Gotta fly."

"Wait!" the guard says.

Right as Logan is reaching for her to drag her away, the guard raises a hand to halt them. "Not me. Him." He points to Logan.

"What about him?' Veronica asks.

"Kiss him."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm letting you go. Help me out here. My obnoxious little sister is a fan, but she likes the other guy. Duncan Kane? He seems like kind of a pussy to me, so when she bet twenty dollars that you and Duncan were already hooked up, I took that bet. Let me get a picture of you kissing. I mean...every sighting so far has been of you two—"

"Sir...We're kind of in a  _ hurry _ here," Veronica says in a clipped tone. 'Any second now, about thirty girls are going to come around that corner and swarm you."

The Owl opens his mouth to protest.

"I have not, nor will I ever hook back up with Duncan Kane. Is that good?"

"Fine!" the guard says, with a pout. "Get out of here."

They break into a run, but Logan calls back over his shoulder "She made out with me yesterday, if that helps."

"God, you're an ass."

Veronica is gasping for breath by the time they make it to their hallway. She checks over her shoulder before they make the left turn. Only two fangirls are still following, but they can make it to their mop closet before those girls catch up.

At the end of the hall, Veronica slams open the emergency exit door, recoiling at the alarm, while Logan pulls open the door to the mop closet tugging her in behind him. As she steps into the room, she rips off the duct tape she'd used to disable the locking mechanism. "We have to leave the lights off for a while," she says, checking the handle to confirm that the lock has engaged.

Logan reaches for her hand in the dark, and they fumble their way over to a small nook on the other side of the shelving unit. The space isn't big enough for two, so he pulls her tightly against him, her back to his chest. His left arm hooks in front of her sternum, grasping her right shoulder. His right arm circled her waist. Even if someone were to open the door and turn on the light, they wouldn't be seen unless the person walked into the room.

It takes Veronica a minute to catch her breath. "There's a reason I never joined the track team. Can't believe I'm so out of shape."

"Your shape looks pretty great to me," Logan says, and Veronica groans at the innuendo.

She digs in her pocket pulling out the original burner cell, firing off a text to Duncan telling him they hadn't been captured.

The phone vibrates seconds later with Duncan's response, informing them about the three cop cars and calling them asses for taking so long to check in. She texts back once more, instructing Duncan to text them when the cops leave, and then stuffs the phone back in her pocket.

"I can't believe you kissed that guard," Logan says into her ear so that she can hear him over the alarm.

"Oh, come on. It was out of gratitude."

"I know. But you wouldn't kiss me."

"What? Logan, we were in a hurry."

"It would have taken what – two seconds? – to kiss me and let him get his picture? You'd rather kiss a stranger than kiss me?"

"Aww…did I offend your delicate sensibilities?"

"Yes," he pouts. "You need to fix this."

"Dare I ask how?"

"Kiss me now."

"Not a chance in hell," Veronica laughs.

"Didn't think so. I understand. You're scared."

"Reverse psychology?" She changes to her breathy, ditzy voice. "Oh Logan! Let's make out so I can prove I'm not afraid!"

"Really?"

"No."

"I meant what I said yesterday, you know?" Logan says.

"About being a  _ Fashion Don't ?" _

"No, that you would be the one to initiate our next kiss."

"So...that was crazy back there," Veronica says, trying to change the subject. "The food court. The fountain."

"We can discuss that when we're finished with our current conversation," Logan says.

"We are finished."

"I'm not," he says. "The kiss needs to be all you. No cops. No security guards. Just you and me. With tongue…and it has to last at least ten seconds."

"Never gonna happen, Logan," Veronica says, realizing that eye rolls are completely wasted in the dark. "Why do you need to keep score like that anyway?"

"Just letting you know, next time you're looking up at me all wide-eyed and turned-on, and you're waiting for me to move in, it's not because I don't want to. It's all on you."

"And they call me a control freak," Veronica mutters.

"It's not about control. It's about you making a statement that you want to kiss me, and not just being swept up in a moment."

_ How does one  not  get swept up in a force of nature like Logan? _

For several minutes, they say nothing. Veronica listens to the sound of Logan's breathing until the peals from the door alarm gradually recede from her consciousness. She concentrates on the rise and fall of Logan's chest against her back. She fixates on the warmth everywhere his body touched hers. She synchronizes her inhales to his. Her exhales. Her heartbeat even. She imagines each breath originating at the base of his spine and rolling from him into her and back again like waves to a shore, and she experiences a strange sort of communion and oneness she's never felt with another person before. She wants to synch up with Logan in other ways. She wants to feel his skin. She wants him ins—

For the first time, she reconsiders her fundamental beliefs about sex. Maybe it doesn’t have to be the culmination of raging, out-of-control, hormones. It doesn’t have to be something that 'happened to you' at a party. It doesn’t have to be the trump card for a girl to 'hold on to a boy'.

Maybe sex could be a way for two people to merge and synch, and connect to each other at the deepest level.

"Maybe sex is like  _ this _ _…_ " she muses. She doesn’t consciously choose to say the words aloud. She’s genuinely curious as to his opinion, but at the same time, hadn't wanted to insinuate something was going on beyond Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls hiding in the dark.

Logan snorts.  _ Actually snorts. _  "Fully dressed, standing, behind a shelving unit in a mop closet? Why not? But you at least need to bend over...and...maybe stand on a few phone books. Do they still make those things?"

"Forget I even asked," Veronica says, struggling to pull away. Logan holds tight, refusing to let her go.

"Hey...I'm sorry," he whispers, lowering his face to her shoulder contritely. "I'm an ass. I knew exactly what you meant. I need to learn to resist going for the joke."

"Whatever." Her voice is dismissive, but she understands. It’s a quality they share. Snark first, think later.

"To answer your question, no. Sex isn't like  _ this _ ." He moves a hand to her belly, allowing it to rise and fall with their combined breath.

"Oh…" Veronica says, surprised at how disappointed his answer makes her.

"But I think maybe  _ making love _  might be. I wouldn't know."

"Oh come on," Veronica whispers. "Same thing.  _ Making love? _  Somebody's been spending too much time watching the Lifetime Network."

"Hey, I happen to like  _ Suddenly Susan _ _,_ " Logan says. "And you're wrong. Trust me, do you think I would be caught dead using that term if I really thought they were the same thing?"

"Well, it isn't very manly," Veronica agrees.

"I'll show you manly," Logan says, but luckily _ (?) _ , doesn’t act on his threat. "I guess it depends on your end goal. Are you there for the orgasms? Or are you doing it to get closer to somebody? To connect deeply with them." His hand shifts on her stomach fractionally, enough to drive home their own connection.

"Which is...maybe...what I was referring to."  _ See? That didn't hurt to admit, Veronica. _

"I know."

"But how can you say you've never done it. I know you loved Lilly."

Logan sighs. "Lilly had no patience. She wanted everything quick and dirty. She didn't want love or togetherness, or whatever you want to call it."

"And you did?"

He lets the question linger for a few beats before exhaling. "Yeah. I did."

"I'm beginning to think Lilly was certifiable," Veronica says. "Why would anybody turn down the chance to have that kind of connection?"

"It made her feel trapped." Logan shrugs behind her. "What's your excuse?"

_ Well, you walked right into that one. _

Veronica hesitates, weighing her words carefully, finally going with the truth. "Abandonment issues. And Lilly. How about you?"

"Me? I'm right here, Veronica. Not running."

 

They stand in silence for several minutes - well as silent as it gets in a room next to a squealing emergency door - before Logan speaks again.

"Nothing happened with Carolann. I mean, I was going to kiss her out of obligation, but she didn't want me to."

"Why are you telling me? It's none of my business."

"Why do you think?"

"You can do whatever you want with whomever you choose. I have no say over you."

Logan's arms release her, and he pulls away. "Just...whatever." She senses him shutting down again.

"What's your issue, Logan?" Her back feels cold from the absence of his warmth.

He doesn’t answer.

Veronica sighs, turning around to face him, despite it being too dark to make anything out. "I already knew you didn't hook up with her."

"How'd you know that Smarty?"

"All eight of your family-sized boxes of condoms were still sealed."

"You checked up on me?" Logan lets out a choked laugh. "Please don't ever say family-sized and condoms in the same sentence again."

"Deal. It is a bit of an oxymoron."

"Besides," he moves closer, fingers of one hand brushing her waist. "I promised I'd share those with you."

"That's quite okay, you can have them all."

"I meant I'd share each one."

"Oh." Thankfully, he can’t see her cheeks burning in the dark. "Planning a water balloon fight?"

Logan's chuckle has a sexy edge to it. "You know...I  _ could _  seduce you." He moves even closer.

"Right... Casanova. How could any woman ever resist your slick moves?"

"I'm talking about you being...what's the word...seducible?"

"So we're back to calling me a slut?"

"Don't go there. You know that's not what I meant." Logan snaps.

"Well then why don't you say exactly what you mean?"

"Fine. I've learned a few things about you in the past day. You're very responsive to me. You seem to crave being touched. You really like to kiss, and you do it really really well. And it doesn't take much for you to lose control and get swept away. You, my dear, were completely wasted on a guy like Duncan."

"I don't want to talk about this." Veronica tries to take a step back, but the shelf is in her way.  _ Freaking Logan Echolls! _

Logan growls in annoyance. "I can't discuss the hypothetical of whether I can seduce you, without producing the supporting evidence. We kissed and you loved it. Why are you trying to pretend you didn't?"

Veronica ignores his question. She needs to find some way to change the subject.

"Right...abandonment issues…" Logan says quietly when she doesn’t answer. "We'll have to work on that."

His voice takes on a hypnotic quality, while his right thumb strokes the curve of her waist. "The point I'm trying to make here is that I could kiss you right here…" His fingertips caresses that spot on her neck. "And here…" He touches the corner of her mouth, triggering a hammering in her heart. "And I could make you lose yourself. I could keep you turned on long enough to get you out of your clothes. I could break into one of those family sized boxes of condoms, and I could close the deal."

Veronica feels a full body shiver.

"But...I'm not going to do any of that."

"You're not?" Veronica says, trying to keep her voice detached. "Not that I think you could."

"No. I mean, the sex would probably be fantastic, but where would that leave us in the morning? You would hate me for making you lose control. I'd hate myself for screwing everything up. Duncan would probably have a nervous breakdown worrying and trying to keep the peace."

"So...are you agreeing to just leave things be?"

"Not at all." Logan says, sliding his fingers down both of her arms until he finds her hands. "I'm going to convince  _ you _  to seduce  _ me _ _._ " She hears the smile in his voice.

"WOW!" she laughs. "So we're jumping from initiating kisses to full-out seduction now? Over-confident, much?"

"Not at the same time. You can start with kisses." He pulls her hands up to wrap around his neck, and lowers his forehead to hers. "How does now work for you?"

"Now?" Veronica asks, her voice deceptively steady, despite the fact she can almost taste his mouth, and her belly is doing flip-flops. "Now is not good for me. You know, blaring alarms. Security guards. Fangirls. The fact that it's you."

"Tomorrow?"

"Not looking good either. You'll still be you."

"I can be patient. You'll cave eventually."

"You think?"

"I do. I can be charming when I try."

"I know."

"And I have those...what did you call 'em?...magic fingers?" He tickles her waist lightly.

"I know." Her lips are almost aching to close the distance.

_ Have. To. Resist. _

"And then there's the fact that I'm just plain sexy."

"I kn—"

Suddenly, the emergency door's alarm stops pealing, and Logan yanks her against him and scrunches them as tightly as possible into the nook.

Male voices - sounds like three to four of them - linger outside of the door. Chatting, laughing among themselves, and taking way too long. Somebody jiggles the handle of the mop closet, finding it locked.

Another several minutes pass before Duncan texted that the cops had driven away. Veronica still counts thirty Mississippi's before making her way to the door, and peeking out into the hallway.

"All clear," she says, flipping on the light switch. "I doubt they'll come back with the keys, but we need to hurry, just in case."

She drags their large shopping bags from their hiding place behind Toilet Paper Mountain. Putting on a mask of indifference, she peels off her tee shirt and skirt. She should have told him to turn his back. She isn’t sure why she didn’t.

_ This, Veronica, is called playing with fire, and it's becoming a habit. _

"I can feel your eyes on me," she says, digging through one of the bags for her new outfit .  _ And thank God, I'm wearing my pretty orchid-colored bra and panty set! _

"Yeah? Remember that time you came into the bathroom and ogled me in a towel? "

Veronica glances over at him to argue, but he;s already removed his two shirts, and is dropping his jeans.  _ Two can play at that game. _  She’s often appreciated his butt, and his back, and his chest, and his arms, but she has to admit, his legs aren't too shabby either.

"Veronica?" he says in a strangled voice. "Either get dressed or lose the boots."

"The boots? Why?"

"Why do you think? Panties and boots? Pretty much at the top of my rotation." He turns his back to her with a tragic sigh. "Forget it, I'll turn."  _ Point - Veronica. _

_ Rotation? _

_ Ohhhh… _

"My clothes?" he asks, holding out his hand. Veronica digs through the second bag and pulls out his new black suit and white button-up placing them in his outstretched hand. "I can't believe I'm about to wear JC Penney clothes. I feel so dirty."

"It'll only be for five minutes, Princess," Veronica says, unzipping and tugging her boots off. She pulled on her new black dress pants.

_ Surprise, surprise. Too long. Even shopping in the petite section was no guarantee the pants would fit. _

Logan turns back to her. Of course, his pants fit perfectly. Men are so lucky with clothing. His white shirt is buttoned and tucked, but has little crease lines all over. Luckily, those will be covered with his jacket.

Veronica slips into her new delicate ecru colored blouse, fastening the buttons from the bottom to the top. She catches Logan smirking. "What?"

"Nothing. Just...love the purple bra."

Veronica glances down and realizes her blouse is somewhat transparent.

"Damn!" she says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And  now  you decide to be modest? "  Logan asks, with a raised brow. He has a point. "It'll only be five minutes, Princess."

Veronica shoots him a glare, and then slides her right boot back on. Once it’s was zipped, she tries to lower her pant leg over the boot, but it’s too skinny.  _ Damn. _ She tugs at it, but can’t get it to budge.

"I thought you bought boot cut."

"So did I. I must have grabbed the wrong ones when I switched them for a smaller size."

"Come here," Logan says, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her to sit on the stainless steel counter near the sink. He tugs and wiggles her pants leg, but has no more luck than Veronica. "Can you tuck the pant legs into the boots?" he asks.

"I can, but that would defeat the purpose of the disguise. Don't you know? These boots are iconic." She rolls her eyes indicating what she thinks about being a fashion icon.

"Should I go buy you a pair of shoes?"

"Unnecessary risk," Veronica says.

Logan eyes the pant leg for another moment, and then takes a step back. "Pants off," he commands.

"Excuse me?"

"We'll have to do it the other way. Boots on first." He tugs the boot off her foot.

Veronica sighs and hops down from the counter, unzipping and sliding out of her pants. Logan hands her each of her boots in turn, and she zips them onto her feet.

Logan is staring at her again in a way that makes her entire body flood with warmth. Her throat feels uncomfortably dry and she unconsciously licks her lips.

"Fuck, Veronica," He groans. "Promise me you'll wear those boots when you finally get around to seducing me."

"Never. Gonna. Happen."

"…Right." Logan boosts her back up onto the cold steel counter.

"Damn, Logan! That's cold!"

"Fine whiny, get down." He reaches for his suit jacket, and lays it on the counter before helping her back up.

"Lift."

Veronica lifts her left leg straight out.

"I really want to kiss your knees," Logan says, conversationally. He scrunches one of the pant legs all the way up so that it’s a tight bundle. He then reaches through the pant leg from the bottom, grabbing Veronica's foot and trying to pull it through the hole.

"My knobby knees bring all the boys to the yard," she snickers.

The pant leg sticks, and Logan had to shimmy it bit by bit over the thick boot heel. "I wanted to kiss your knees when I was twelve. Probably always will," he says, keeping his eyes on her foot as he speaks.

Veronica's heart skips a beat. She stares up at the ceiling, afraid he might see some kind of emotion in her eyes.

Logan works the last of the fabric over her left heel, and began scrunching up the other pant leg. "Lift."

She lifts her right foot, and Logan performs the same complicated process of shimmying her pant leg over her boot heel. Once the boot is through, he helps her down.

Veronica pulls up her pants, but they only come to mid-thigh.

_ Damn! _

She wiggles and yanks on the pants, but most of the fabric is still ruched up too tightly around her boots. She hops a few times.

At the sound of Logan's choked laughter, she blows out a gust of air and glances up at him glaring. "Amused?"

"Sorry," he chuckles, "I'll help." He moves behind her and grabs her waistband on each side. "Grab onto my neck," he says.

Veronica reaches up behind her, grasping his neck, and he lifts her by both sides of her waistband, bouncing her until there’s some give and the pants make it up to her hips.

"I've never even worked this hard to get a girl  _ out _ of her pants."

"That's not saying much about the girls you've been with. I knew you couldn't resist the easy joke."

"I wouldn't be me if I did." He gives her another good bounce, and the pants come mostly to her waist.

"That'll do," Veronica says, and zips up her pants once Logan sets her down. She squats down to make sure she can bend her knees.

"Bet you thought that was funny." She glowers at him.

"Pretty much. Think of it as a lesson learned for the next time we play disguise."

They finish getting ready. Logan turns his back to her as he adds a new striped necktie, his suit jacket, and his glasses. Veronica slips back into her curly brown wig and her glasses.

When Logan turns back around, Veronica almost chokes. "No! Absolutely not! I won't be seen with you."

"What's wrong, Veronica? If I can be seen with you with that dead poodle on your head - you can be seen with me in the porn 'stache. It's only fair."

"Fine. But if anybody starts singing bow-chicka-wow-wow, I'm pretending I don't know you."

"So basically, it'll be just like the last year."

"Cover your mustache with your hand," she says.

Logan looks at her funny, but followed her instruction. She looks him over. The suit obviously wasn't of the finest quality, but it fits him well.

"You look good in a suit," she says.

"I look good in everything. You look good in your underwear. And your b—"

"Logan..." she warns.

"Sorry."

 

She double-checks that they have all of their possessions and purchases, while Logan texts Duncan to pick them up outside of Sears.

Veronica notices people staring as they casually walked though Sears and out to the parking lot, but they aren’t seeing Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls. Only a guy with a  really  bad mustache.

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Liam Fitzpatrick**  
**Interstate 10**  
**Western Florida**

 

Liam Fitzpatrick has been on the road for nearly twelve hours - since receiving the call from Don Lamb at 6:30 AM. He made two stops for fast food, and one to take a piss at a truck stop, but otherwise, he's been making good time. He’s already less than an hour outside of Tallahassee.

Sheriff Shithead told him on the phone to head back to Neptune - there would be no point in heading to Orlando with the two kids already in police custody - but Lamb takes orders from  him , not the other way around. He needs to find Duncan Kane (and the backpack) before the cops do. Sure, he can get to him in jail, but that’ll deny him the _ personal touch _  he’s so looking forward to. He worries that Kane might turn himself in out of a sense of loyalty to the other two.

Liam’s never had much use for attachments. Most people are no better than cockroaches, and Neptune's citizens are worse than most. As a hotbed of the  _ New Rich _ , everybody is a slave to something: pussy, image, money, or drugs. Or all four, in a few cases.

Liam is immune to most of those things. He knows there’s only one thing that matters in this world. Power. And he’s the second most powerful man in Neptune. For now. Jake Kane won’t survive the death of a second child.

The death of his own brother Ciaran had been a crushing blow, but oddly liberating as well. Ciaran had been his last living attachment. His last tie to humanity. Now he has nothing left to lose.

As the middle child of five boys, Liam had been a loner as a child. The oldest, Cormac, was the darling of their mother. Patrick, the pious, was his father's favorite. The twins, Ciaran and Padraig had each other. Liam had nobody, and liked it that way.

When he was eleven, he found his dad's handgun on a closet shelf. As young boys were apt to do, he took it outside, pointing it at birds, squirrels, and neighborhood kids. He hadn't known what the safety was when he'd clicked it off and thumbed the trigger, but the end result was a bullet hole in his kid brother Ciaran's knee. He hadn't even known the gun was loaded.

Once the ambulance pulled away, anticipating the beating of a lifetime, Liam searched out his mother's vodka stash. He'd learned in the past that a little self-numbing made his father's brutal whippings a bit more...endurable. Still, he'd almost wet himself at the sound of the front door slamming. As heavy boot steps climbed the stairs, he'd hidden in his closet, knowing he was only postponing the inevitable. He’d been taken by surprise when his father began screaming.

_ "Cormac! Get out here you little fucker!" _

Liam heard the door of Cormac and Patrick's bedroom fling against the wall. He heard muffled thumps, shouts and screams, and the  _ thwap _  of leather against skin.

_ "Don't lie to me boy, or it'll go twice as badly for you." _

For the second time that day, a Fitzpatrick boy was taken to the hospital, but Liam hadn't felt even the slightest twinge of guilt. Cormac had always been a bit protective of the twins, but had been tormenting Liam his entire life.

He’d never quite understood why Ciaran had done it, but by fingering Cormac in the shooting, he had drawn a line in the sand and had earned Liam's eternal loyalty. It was only the first of many times that Ciaran would come through for him.

Liam, on the other hand, had been a complete failure at coming through for his brother, beginning with the permanent limp. When he'd ruined Kenneth Callum for not paying his blackmail, it was Ciaran who'd taken a bullet from the irate man. When Ciaran was sentenced to two years, it had been for Liam's robbery.

Most people believe Liam is a meth head. He lets them think so, but in fact, he never touches the stuff, he’s just psychotic. Any good businessman knows you don't get high on your own supply. But it serves his purposes to be underestimated. He’s seen countless lives destroyed by meth, so when he’d realized his brother was using, he should have stopped him. Forcefully, if necessary. But once again, he'd let Ciaran down.

And then there was the time he'd broken two of his brother's ribs.

Liam has never been in love. He's never even had a girlfriend. Sure, women have their place - in the kitchen or on their knees - but never in his heart. Since he'd first been put to work at the Stix at age fourteen, he's been fucking the same handful of bar sluts. Sloppy hookups in the back room with sloppier drunks. They'd fuck any of the Fitzpatrick boys for a few drinks, a little crack, or a little meth. There’s no affection involved. No foreplay. They hardly even participate, just close their eyes and take a nailing.

Now and then, a neighborhood girl gets away. Goes to college and never comes back. But unlike their Latino neighbors to the South with their strong sense of family, in the poverty-stricken world of East Neptune, there are two types of women - at least in Liam's estimation. The good girls go to church, marry young, pop out a handful of babies, and work their fingers to the bone keeping homes for loutish brutes who came home to slap them around. The bad girls line the bar stools of the River Stix on their pathetic excuse for Ladies Night hoping that somebody - anybody - will give them the time of day.

Strangely, both types typically wind up looking the same in the end. Like his mother, they all have that same dead-on-the-inside look. Tired. World-weary. Pathetic. Ugly. Lives over before they've even begun. Even Cormac's girlfriend, Kendall/Lacey/Priscilla - whatever the hell her real name is - doesn’t do it for him. As much as she displays her goods, as much as she pretends to be walking sex, she’s just as dead inside as the rest of them.

That’s his entire world-view of women: victims, martyrs, slaves to their husbands.

There had been one. Once. He could have grown to love her - he'd been close. There’d been nothing dead-inside about  _ that _ girl.

 

** Flashback - Liam - June, 2003 - September, 2003 **

 

_ The first time she comes into the Stix, she's with her married lover who's there to score some blow. _

_ "I told you to wait in the car," he says through gritted teeth. "This is no place for you." _

_ "Bite me," she answers, as her inquisitive eyes take in the establishment. She doesn't notice the anger on her lover's face. Liam thinks she wouldn't much care if she had. He can tell she likes what she sees. Sin and vice are probably aphrodisiacs to this girl. _

_ She looks right through him at first. He's only the scumbag drug dealer providing the party favors. He doesn't take offense. She wouldn't be the first rich girl to slum it around here. _

_ She's a hot little thing with curves to die for, but it's her eyes that captivate him. They're full of mischief and amusement. Blazingly. Alive. _

_ "Let's play pool," she says. _

_ "We're leaving." _

_ "I'll play with you," Liam says. He has no idea why. _

_ She looks at him now. Takes him in like a stud horse, head to toe, lingering at the bulge in his pants. She doesn't even pretend to be coy. One side of her lip curls up in a knowing smirk. _

_ Her lover finishes his transaction and drags her out of there, but Liam knows she'll be back. _

_ "I've seen her around at school," Ciaran says materializing at his side. "She's bad news, man." _

_ "Tell me everything you know." _

 

_ It takes longer than he expected. Three weeks before he looks up from the cash register to find her sitting on a bar stool. _

_ "Where's the douchebag?" he asks. _

_ "In LA with his wife." _

_ "Where's your boyfriend?" _

_ "Out of town with his boys." _

_ "Why are you here?" _

_ "You owe me a game of pool." _

 

_ She's not much of a drinker, but she likes to climb up on the bar. Any other girl would be knocked on her ass for even attempting that. She almost was the first time he'd caught her up there. _

_ But he thinks she might be a goddess whose primary form of nourishment is male attention. As each pair of eyes is added to her collection, she seems to glow a bit brighter. Adoration is her drug. She sways her hips to a Blues number on the jukebox, running her hands up her sides, and every man in the place adjusts their pants. _

_ He sits back and enjoys the show. Every goddess needs worshippers. _

 

_ He's never been a jealous man - never cared enough about anybody - but the way she locks eyes with him while rubbing against his cousin makes him want to cause permanent damage. Instead, he sends Danny into PCH territory on a mission sure to get his ass kicked. The simpleton doesn't even question the order. _

 

_ "What is your game?" he asks her once. "Your daddy could buy you ten pool tables. You're not here for the drugs. You're not here for the alcohol. You barely drink." _

_ "Alcohol dulls orgasms." _

_ "Who's the lucky guy tonight?" _

_ "I have a few options." _

 

_ She's dancing on the bar one night when Kendall/Lacey/Priscilla comes in with a message from his brother. _

_ They size each other up like two territorial cats, while the gathered patrons watch eagerly. They haven't seen a good cat fight in ages. _

_ But something passes silently between them and the antagonism changes to something...different. She glides across the bar, until she's standing over Kendall, and then holds out her hand. _

_ Kendall stares at the hand, considering, and then finally, allows herself to be hoisted onto a stool and then onto the bar. _

_ She grabs Kendall by the hair and shoves her tongue in her mouth, kissing her roughly. _

_ Drunken spectators hoot. This is much better than a bitch fight. _

_ When they break apart, Kendall smirks. "Nice, but not as good as your boyfriend." _

_ "He is pretty good, huh?" She smiles then, proudly. "Much better than your husband." _

_ They dance together on the bar putting on a show - swaying, hands gliding over hips and arms and backs, while every patron in the bar stares with rapt fascination. They leave together. _

_ Two more Fitzpatrick babies are conceived that night. _

 

_ Another night, crouching to grab a beer, he's surprised when he stands up to find her sitting sideways on the bar, bare legs stretched out before her. She wears a tiny black bandaid dress and no bra. _

_ "Get off my bar," he grunts, knowing she won't listen. _

_ "Why should I? Nobody's here anyway," she says, "...except for Joannie the Lush." She points to the woman at the end of the bar, whom Liam had been considering fucking after closing. It wouldn't be the first time. _

_ He fixes her drink of choice. "It's 2:00 AM. Do your parents know where you are?" _

_ "Nope," she says. _

_ "Why are you fucking that coke head?" _

_ "I collect experiences. Stories. He's one of them." _

_ "Is that why you're here? Collecting your 'slumming it' badge? _

_ "Why else?" Her fingers skim her chest. _

_ He crosses his arms over his chest and tries to stare her down, but he doesn't scare her any more than her douchebag lover does. He should - they both should - but she doesn't have much sense. _

_ Proof in point, she stretches the neckline of her dress, and pops out her tit. Right there on the fucking bar. _

_ He stares mesmerized as she runs her hand over her breast. She flashes him an impertinent grin. _

_ He reaches out a hand, but she slaps it away. So he stares as she wiggles her dress up over her hips. She peels off her black lace panties. _

_ He feels a desperation to touch her unlike anything he's ever experienced before. His sum experience with sex is to find the wet spot and put his dick in it. But with this girl, he wants to run his hands all over her. He points a thumb to the end of the bar to remind her they weren't alone. _

_ "It's okay," she says. "I like an audience." She pushes the top of her dress down around her waist. _

_ She takes another sip of her drink, and then pivots on her ass so that she's facing him, a knee on either side. _

_ Liam grins, and reaches for his belt, but she shakes her head. "Uh-uh." She applies a steady pressure to his shoulders. It takes him a minute to realize what she wants. Oh hell no! He's never gotten down on his knees for a woman before, he's not going to start— _

_ He does it anyway. He debases himself for her. He gets down on his knees and allows her to drag his face between those thighs. He tells himself he can make an exception for a goddess. So he does what she asks of him. Until she's screaming his name - well technically she screams her boyfriend's name first - but one hard pinch on her ass reminds her who she's with. _

_ When she comes, he realizes he's never felt more like a man in his life. He laughs in disbelief, as he stands and starts to undo his belt again. But what the fuck is this? She slides off the other side of the bar and is heading towards the door fixing her dress. She stops to blow him a kiss. "Thanks, lovah. See you soon." _

_ As she heads out the door, she calls over her shoulder, "All yours, Joannie." _

_ Her black lace thong sits on the bar next to her vodka and cranberry. Liam stuffs it in his pocket, swearing to himself the next time she has the balls to come in here, he's going to be bend her over the pool table and fuck her until she can't walk. Joannie the Lush limps for the next two days. _

 

_ He doesn't know how she manages to get the upper hand again. Somehow he's the one who ends up on the pool table with her straddling him. He thinks it might be the one of the best moments of his life. This is no passive fuck. She rides him hard, pulling one of his hands from her hips and pressing it between her legs. He loves how she takes control of her own pleasure. _

_ 'I could marry this girl,' he thinks watching her ample tits bounce as she bucks up and down on his cock. _

_ He knows he's lying to himself. He's an uneducated brute making a living by drug dealing and blackmail. His world would kill everything about her that makes her special, and eventually he'd end up smacking her around like his father and his uncles and his cousins do. _

_ No, she'll end up marrying her boyfriend, and he can only pray that she'll still want to slum it now and then. _

 

_ He forgets sometimes that she's a teenager. Until he spots her down on the boardwalk with a group of friends. _

_ He follows for a while at a distance. She's dressed age appropriately in a tee shirt and shorts, rather than the vampy dresses she wears when she comes to him. The boyfriend can't keep his hands off her. She giggles like a schoolgirl as he twirls her out and then back for a kiss. She jumps on his back for a piggyback ride. He feeds her handfuls of cotton candy. She tugs him into the shadows between food trucks while their friends pretend to be put out and catcall to 'get a room'. He drops an arm around her shoulders, leans over to kiss her every ten steps. _

_ There's something so nauseatingly innocent about the scene. _

 

_ "I saw you at the boardwalk." _

_ She shrugs. "So? It's not a crime." _

_ "Who  are  you? It's like you're two different people." _

_ "There's more than one facet to my personality. Would you deal meth in front of your grandma?" _

_ She has him there. _

_ "Why don't you just put him out of his misery?" he asks. "Your boyfriend." _

_ "I do. Sometimes." _

_ "Is he crappy in bed or something?" _

_ "No. He's very gifted in bed." _

_ "What am I missing here?" _

_ "I love him. I'm in love with him." _

_ " Then why are you here?" _

_ " There's different kinds of love. I can't love him the way he deserves. In the traditional sense of the word – fidelity and all that – so sometimes I set him free. After a while, I'll need him again and go running back. Vicious cycle." _

_ "Cycles are meant to be broken." _

_ "There's only two ways out. Either I cut off all contact and move away, or...he moves on with someone who can love him the right way. I've been laying the groundwork for the second option, but he's stubborn as hell." _

_ " Or you could just say no." _

_ " Why are we having this conversation?" she says. "I didn't come here for relationship advice." _

 

_ He sees her a few more times. He fucks her on the bar. He fucks her on the pool table. He fucks her on the lady's room sink while the douchebag waits for her at the bar. He tries to cuddle once. She laughs. She rides his dick and she rides his face. She never goes down on him. She's always in control. _

 

_ "Why do you keep coming back?" he asks her, as he sinks the ten ball. "What do I have that they don't have?" _

_ "Danger." _

_ "Then you're seriously underestimating the douchebag." _

_ "He's all smoke and mirrors. I'm not afraid of him." _

_ "You're afraid of me?" _

_ "Nope." _

_ "You should be." _

_ "I know. You big scary man." She pats him on the cheek indulgently. "I don't know if anybody 's ever told you..." She lowers her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "...but this place has a bad reputation." _

_ Liam covers his mouth in feigned shock. _

_ "Figure I'm bound to find a story here eventually." _

_ "What kind of story?" Liam asks warily. "You're not writing some kind of story about me for your school newspaper or something?" _

_ She laughs out loud. "Do you think my school newspaper would publish the sort of things I do with you? Censorship is alive and well in Neptune." _

_ He shrugs. You never know. _

_ "I'm talking about my memoir. Stories about the  real  Neptune - when you chip away the gold plating. Stories that would make my mother move to Canada just to escape the embarrassment." _

_ He laughs now. "You do all this because you want to write a book someday?" _

_ "A memoir. And who says I haven't started?" _

_ She takes her turn, leaning over the table enough that her dress rides up. She sinks three balls before missing a shot on the 7-ball. _

_ He leaves bruises on her arm when he catches her topless in the back room on top of his niece, Molly. She leaves a scar on his forehead when she picks up the nearest bottle of Jack Daniels and smashes him in the face with it. Later, Dr. Griffith offers to fix it, but he wears the scar like a badge of honor. It's the only proof he has that she was ever a part of his life. _

_ She comes back. September 28th. Pretends she did nothing wrong. Actually laughs at his stitches. He fucks her from behind, but knows it's only because she's humoring him. _

_ He never sees her again. _

_ When he learns of her death, he does over $20,000 worth of property damage around town and puts two innocent people in the hospital for getting in his way. One of them is Ciaran. _

_ He never even got to kiss her on the mouth. _

* * *

Day Six  
Liam Fitzpatrick  
Interstate I10  
Western Florida

 

Her lace thong still hangs from his rearview. He punched his cousin Danny once for touching it. As traffic is light on the freeway, he takes a moment to push back his hair to examine the J-shaped scar on his forehead in the mirror.

He still misses her. All the time.

His phone rings. Private caller.

"Hello?"

"Liam," the smooth voice says. "Please don't hang up on me again."

_ Ah...her murderer. If he had proof, the man would be dead already. _

"What do you want," he grunts. He's been calling every day since that video aired.

"How much do you want?"

"For?"

"You know what for. To leave Logan alone. Ten thousand?"

Liam chuckles.

"Fifteen."

"You make twenty million a picture, and you're offering me twenty thousand?"

"Fine. What do you want?"

Liam waits him out. He’ll start screaming any minute now.

"A million?"

"Two million?"

"What makes you think there's any amount of money you could pay me?"

"Listen you fucker!"

_ And here we go… _

"You touch one hair on Logan's head and I will kill you."

"Then who would supply your nose candy?"

"Are you  _ listening to me? " _

"…"

"YOU TOUCH HIM AND I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN."

"Try starting at the River Stix."

"I'LL TAKE MY TIME AND MAKE YOU SUFFER. I'LL SCOOP OUT YOUR EYEBALLS WITH A RUSTY TEASPOON. I'LL STICK MY OSCAR SO FAR UP YOUR ASS YOU'LL WIN BEST PERFORMANCE AS A STICK PUPPET."

"You done?"

"I'LL RIP OFF YOUR FUCKING HEAD AND USE IT AS A SOCCER BALL! I WILL PEEL YOU LIKE A FUCKING GRAPE AND FEED YOUR ENTRAILS TO MY WIFE'S ALPACA. THEY'LL HAVE TO IDENTIFY YOU BY YOUR DENTAL RECORDS."

"Very creative Aaron, but alpacas are plant eaters, you fucking moron."

"YOU THINK THIS IS A FUCKING JOKE?"

"Not at all. In fact, you've inspired me. Logan's dental records are up to date, right?"

"YOU MOTHER FUCKER. YOU TOUCH HIM I'LL—"

Liam disconnects the call.

The funny thing? Logan is at the bottom of his hit list. He'd rather kill the father than the son.

_ Abel Koontz, my ass. _

Duncan Kane will get the blowtorch. It’ll be very slow and excruciatingly painful. He's taken away the only remaining person who mattered to Liam.

Veronica Mars...?

Liam remembers running into the Mars family once at the annual Neptune carnival - Summer 2003. Keith Mars had given him a tense greeting while his hands tightened around the shoulders of his wife and daughter. Lianne Mars would have fit in perfectly at the River Stix. She had the same dead eyes as so many of his patrons. The daughter, Veronica came across as mousy and meek. Later, when he'd caught her alone, he’d stepped up behind her and said 'BOO' in her ear. She'd shrieked and jumped like a timid little rodent.

The girl he'd caught up with at the Sweet Dreams motel had been anything but meek or timid. She'd tasered him for fuck's sake. It was almost as if she’d absorbed some of Lilly's soul. He rubs at his scar, as he always does when he thinks of her. Veronica's transformation intrigues him.

He regrets now that he'd never taken out Keith Mars. Had he done so years ago, Veronica would never have set all of this into motion. He’d still have a brother, and he could have spent more time observing her. Searching for more signs of Lilly. It’s too late now. She needs to die, but for the sake of Lilly, he’ll make sure it’s quick and painless.

As for Logan…

He'd known Logan the instant he came face to face with him, but not from any magazine spread.

As the son of a harsh and brutal man, Liam had recognized the sadism in Aaron Echolls' eyes the first time they met back in 2000. No skin off his back. Aaron was one of his best repeat customers, and he bought in quantity. It wasn't until Lilly that he started considering what the man might be capable of.

In some ways, despite the money, he thinks Logan probably had it even worse than he had. Old Cormac Fitzpatrick had five boys to split his cruelty amongst. With the daughter out of the house, Logan Echolls was essentially an only child. Liam's father was a drunk, which is a sedative. Aaron flies into frequent coke rages. In fact, he'd just been having one.

Seeing Logan had been a confirmation of everything he'd assumed over the years. There’d been a weary resolve in the boy's eyes. The look of somebody who knew an attack was imminent, but would stand and face it. As they'd fought, Liam found in Logan the same ability to turn off the pain as he himself had developed over the years. And even though he had a good fifty pounds on the boy, he'd come the closest to being Liam's match as anybody had in years. Since that last knock-down-drag-out with Cormac.

And then, he'd loved Lilly.

In a way, Liam feels a sick sort of kinship with the boy. Maybe a grudging respect. In the end, he’ll end up dead as well. He doesn’t need to kill the kid, but Liam feels certain he’ll be forced to go through Logan to get to Veronica and Duncan.

Logan's problem - and biggest weakness - is that he’s in love with the girl. That had been fairly obvious, but he'd tested the theory by threatening to rape her. The boy had gone berserk trying to get to him.

Veronica Mars will end up getting Logan Echolls killed. He'll try to make it quick for him as well. Maybe a bullet to the brain. He's suffered enough having to live with the douchebag.

 

The AC-DC song on the radio suddenly turns off.

** ANNOUNCER: **  We interrupt this radio program for breaking news. Riots broke out earlier today at a Dallas area mall when upwards of a hundred...teenage girls...set off alarms and overwhelmed security guards to aid in the escape of known fugitives Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars. Earlier reports that the duo had been apprehended in Orlando, Florida have now been confirmed to be false. More details to follow.

"Fuck!" He pounds the steering wheel.

The song starts back up, and Liam pulls to the side of the road.

He dials a preset on his cell.

"Don Lamb."

"What the fuck?"

"Liam."

"You told me they were in Orlando. Now I'm hearing they were just seen at a Dallas mall."

"They're in Dallas," Lamb says, his voice weary. "I'm sitting at the Orlando airport. My flight to Dallas boards in about fifteen minutes."

"How can we be sure it's really them this time? It could be another pair of lookalikes."

"Oh it's them." Lamb says. "Logan Echolls tried to use his credit card at a book store before Veronica stopped him. We also had a hit on Duncan Kane's email address. It was being used at a Dallas library."

"Fuck. I've been driving for hours!" Liam punches his steering wheel. "What else do we know?"

"The locals pulled the browser history for the terminal Duncan Kane was using at the library. He was searching for apartments in Chicago and Cleveland using one of those real estate sites. I can get you a list of apartments he added to 'save for later' queue once it's been compiled."

"And what were the other two doing at the mall?"

"Purchasing City Guides for the same two cities. They stopped for a bite to eat when they were surrounded by teenagers. I guess somebody overheard them discussing their trip and spread it over the internet."

"Did either of them have a backpack with them? Dark blue and gray?"

"I'll let you know after I've seen the tapes."

"Alright," Liam exhales in annoyance. "I'll be back in Dallas by morning. You had better have some information for me when I get there."

He hangs up the phone, pulls onto the road, and does a U-turn at the next pull off.

Logan Echolls tried to use his credit card?

_ I'm disappointed in you, Logan. Thought you were smarter than that. _


	21. Day Six - From Red Carpets to Dollar Movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - violence and other disturbing themes at the beginning of this chapter. Feel free to skip italicized text in Logan's POV.

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Logan**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

"So this is what people mean by coming down in the world." Logan eyes the flickering movie marquis with distaste. "Would it kill somebody to change a freaking light bulb?"

"Oh!" Veronica says, lightly smacking the side of her face as if she's forgotten an important detail. "I was supposed to have them roll out a red carpet or something, wasn't I?"

"Yeah. Get right on that," Logan says, lips curling into a smirk. Veronica hadn't been kidding when she'd called this place the 'Dollar Movies'. All three of their choices are a few months past their release date, and crappy to boot.

"They should pay me a dollar for even considering this drivel."

At Veronica's insistence, they'd stopped to inhale some fast food on the way back from the mall, eating in the car. At the motel, Peggy had waved them into the office ushering them quickly into the kitchen.

"You guys probably want to disappear for a bit," she says, "We have a crew here maintaining the cooling and heating systems, and they'll be working in your wing for a while."

"Where do you think we should go?" Logan asked, after he and Veronica had taken turns changing in Peggy's bathroom.

"If you hurry, you might be able to catch an evening movie." Peggy points in the general direction of the theater they'd walked past on their first night in Dallas.

Now they stand outside the building arguing.

"Come on!" Veronica complains, "I know you love your chick flicks, Logan, but you can't really want to see  _ The Notebook _ _._ "

"Not really. But we're not seeing  White Chicks ." Logan flicks his fingers dismissively at the movie poster.

"No, we'll see  _ Queen Bees _ ," Veronica says, as if it were the only logical choice. "Everybody says it's brilliantly funny. Like watching a movie about Lilly."

"Give it up, Veronica," Duncan says, "Trust me, Logan's not going to budge. He'd watch  _ White Chicks _  before he'd agree to see  _ Queen Bees _ ."

"Yep."

"But why?" Veronica pushes, "Come on, Logan. Can't you compromise for once?"

He’d find her obstinacy adorable, if he wasn’t in such a pissy mood. "Nobody's stopping you guys from watching... _ that _ ," Logan says, gesturing dismissively, "But you couldn't pay me to watch it."

"He made out with Lisa Loper once at a party when he was twelve and refuses to watch any of her movies ever since," Duncan says.

"Of  _ course _  he did." Veronica sighs and throwing her hands up in a very Logan-like gesture. "Who  _ hasn't _  he made out with?"

"You?" Duncan points at Veronica.

Her eyes flick straight to Logan's - a momentary glimmer of a shared secret before the poker face returns and she steers them back to the subject. "You can't tell me you haven't seen the first two movies in the  _ Artemis _  trilogy. I know you. You  love  badass movie chicks. Especially half-naked badass movie chicks. Even your dad doesn't suck too much as the villain. His hamminess actually works, for once."

"Nope," Logan glances at an imaginary watch. "So...The Notebook…?"

"Wait, she made out with you when you were twelve?" Veronica asks, "She had to be at least sixteen then, right?"

"Forget about it," Logan says.

"What happened? You act like an octopus and run her off?" A light breeze blows Veronica's hair into her face, and she pushes it back again.

"I don't want to talk about it." He’s  not  going to get into this.

"Had a bad case of halitosis?" Duncan joins in. "Too much garlic?"

"Funny, man."

"She insult your kissing technique?" Veronica throws in. "Did you try sticking your tongue down her throat?"

Logan glares. She should know better. "You want to discuss my kissing technique?" He challenges.

Veronica bites her lip and looks at the ground.

Duncan continues, not catching on to the undercurrents. "You get too close and prematurely-"

_ Now you've gone too far. _

He can't listen to their noise anymore. "I didn't make out with her, okay? She took my virginity. Or stole it."

_ Well...that silenced them. _

_ Fuck! Why did I say that? _

Logan turns his back to them, needing space. Wishing he could put a mile between them. He watches a paper bag skittering down the sidewalk while running both hands through the front of his hair.

"Logan…?" Veronica's hand is soft on his arm as she turns him around. "Did Lisa Loper rape you?"

"No! Nothing like that. I was willing. At the time."

"Twelve years old?" She looked nauseates. "Is that even  physically  possible at that age?"

Duncan nods, silently.

Veronica stares at Logan, shocked by the revelation.

 

**Flashback – June, 2000**  
**Logan**  
**Former Echolls residence**

 

_ Aaron works with a personal trainer every day, yet never remembers to ask which exercises might help strengthen his belt-swinging muscles. As a result, he tends to tire himself out fairly quickly. _

_ On a good night, that means the beating is over and Logan can slip off to lick his wounds. _

_ Tonight is not a good night. _

_ Having exhausted himself swinging the belt, Aaron has moved on to the throwing and kicking portion of the evening. _

_ Logan has made a serious miscalculation. He knew the consequences would be steep before he ever committed the crime - had banked on it - but he's never seen Aaron this enraged. _

_ His father may end up killing him tonight. _

_ He doesn't want to die. _

_ He's only twelve years old. He's never driven a car. Never gone surfing in Australia. Never been to a rock concert. Never smoked a joint. Never been on a real date. Never kissed anybody upside-down like Spiderman. _

_ He's never been in love. _

_ "Do you know how much this is going to cost me?" Aaron screams. "An entire school library?" _

_ He slams Logan face-first into the stainless steel refrigerator, and his nose collapses with a sickening crunch. _

_ "Three books, Logan." Aaron pulls his head back by the hair. The blood trickling from his nostrils tickles. "Out of an entire library, three books weren't water damaged by the sprinklers." _

_ Logan slides to the floor when his hair is released, but Aaron is far from done. _

_ "Was it worth it you little prick? What could you possibly have been thinking?" _

_ Logan curls into the fetal position, arms wrapped tight around his head. He remembers his mom's advice: if there's a choice, protect the head. Both head injuries and rib injuries can be fatal, but brain damage is forever. _

_ Speaking of ribs, there went another one. That's three so far, he thinks, and his chest burns as if it's on fire. Every inhale, like breathing lava. His nose is broken, and It's taking all his strength not to lose consciousness. If he passes out, he can't protect his head. If he passes out, he may never wake again. _

_ A boot catches Logan in the armpit, and he can't help but scream out in pain as his shoulder dislocates. _

_ "EXPELLED! I sacrificed my artistic integrity for you!" _

_ Kick. _

_ "Only the best for Logan Echolls. Your mom insisted." _

_ Kick. _

_ "You think I could pay for Wellington Academy on an indie film salary?" _

_ Kick. _

_ A foot catches Logan in the balls, and he howls. His first instinct to reach down, but that would leave his head unprotected. _

_ "I want to know WHY?" Aaron yells, catching his hip with his booted foot. _

_ He will never admit to the truth. They both know the carrot implicitly follows the stick, but it wasn't something ever discussed. _

_ "A...a girl," Logan lies. "She said it would be funny." _

_ "A GIRL? You lit a firecracker in the school library for a GIRL?" The belt still hanging on Aaron's shoulder swings down with a vicious snap to curl around Logan's arms and head. _

_ Aaron leans over, his hands on his knees to scream at Logan more closely. He face looks evil and distorted, like something out of a David Lynch movie, or maybe Logan's vision is the problem. _

_ "You think girls actually like you, you little fuck? Well they don't. They like  me . They watch  my  movies. Buy  my  posters. You're just a cheap substitute. The backup prize." _

_ Logan keeps his mouth shut. This particular spiel isn't anything new. Either Aaron feels threatened by Logan – his youth, his looks, his…something, or feels some innate need to keep Logan in his place. Either way, mom says it's Aaron's problem, not his. _

_ "If your name wasn't Echolls they wouldn't come near you. Well maybe the dirty whores, but not the nice girls. Not quality girls. Like Lisa Loper." _

_ Logan's head jerks up, momentarily forgetting about the danger, and Aaron crouches down, dropping the belt and catching his breath. _

_ "Lisa Loper. America's sweetheart. You think she really wanted you?" _

_ Logan's eyes widen. What does he know? _

_ "What? You thought I didn't know about that? Who do you think made it happen?" _

_ Logan really doesn't want to hear this. _

_ "She wanted to be 'Artemis'. She read the book trilogy. Called it the role of a lifetime. A career-maker. Iconic. And she knew that Julia Styles practically had a lock on the role, so she came to me. I have significant pull with the casting director, you know." _

_ Logan lowers his arms, eying his father warily. He knows what's coming next and wishes he could block it out. _

_ "She told me she'd do  anything,  if I were to help her become Artemis. Of course, I told her that I was happily married, and couldn't possibly take her up on her offer, but I had a son who'd always wanted to meet her. She caught on pretty quickly." _

_ He's about to be seriously ill. The fucker has just tainted what had up until now been the best experience of his life. _

_ "The way you prance and flit around here...All of those...gestures...I was afraid you wouldn't be able to perform, if you catch my drift." _

_ Aaron is calm now. No longer acting the sadist, but instead shifting to the benevolent father role. He reaches for Logan's hand, pulling him to a sitting position, and placing a hand on his upper back. _

_ "It wouldn't do for Hollywood's biggest badass to have a fairy son, you know, so I was pretty pleased when she reported back to me." He rumples Logan's hair and grins. "Said you performed pretty well. Better than a certain douchebag actor she's been linked with. Guess you're my son after all." _

_ So he managed to keep it up for a few minutes and not embarrass himself, and Aaron thought he could take the credit? Fuck him! _

_ Aaron pats him awkwardly on the shoulder, and tries to help him up, when suddenly, Logan rolls to his side violently vomiting up blood. Aaron's eyes widen in fear. _

_ "Logan? Son?" He tries to lift Logan again, but jumps back when Logan spits up more blood. He rises to his feet screaming for the maid. "Maria, call Dr. Wilson and get him here immediately." _

_ He eyes the blood in trepidation and then shudders, bucks up his courage, and lifts Logan's torso from the ground, wrapping both arms around him and pulling him close to his chest. He slips into his Guilty Father role, kissing the top of Logan's head and telling him to hold on, help would be there soon. _

_ Were Logan not shaking violently, he could recite Aaron's next lines in unison. _

_ "I'm so sorry." _

_ "I don't know how I got so out of control." _

_ "I promise it'll never happen again." _

_ Days later, Aaron stands next to Lynn at the side of Logan's hospital bed, and brushes hair off his son's forehead. He babbles about Logan's ATV accident, until the nurse leaves, and then leans over speaking quietly. "I'll make this up to you, son. What can I get you? Electronics? Video games? Anything." _

_ Logan lets out the breath he's been holding, and teaches his father a thing or two about acting. His voice is weak. Not much more than a whisper. "I already have everything I want. It's not things that I need." _

_ "Anything, Logan. Name it." _

_ "I just...I hate always being so alone. It just gives me more time to get into trouble. It's great to see the ocean when I wake up, but we live in the middle of nowhere. Nobody ever comes over. I never go anywhere else." _

_ "What are you saying, son?" _

_ "If we lived inside the city limits, I could hang out with Duncan more often. You know, he tried to talk me out of the firecracker thing. He's always trying to talk me out of my bad ideas. He's like one of those angel-on-your-shoulder things." _

_ " Your conscience?" Lynn asks with a smile. _

_ " Yeah." _

_ "Son, it's not realistic to-" _

_ "Plus, I could go to public school. I know you always said it would be good for me to learn a little humility." _

_ Aaron and Lynn's eyes meet in silent communication, while Logan keeps his smirk on the inside. His mom has always hated their house anyway, and they both adore Duncan. Were he at home, rather than in the hospital, he would start packing around now. _

_ When Lynn leaves to go to the vending machines, Aaron leans over his son and speaks in a confidential tone. "Just so you know son, Lisa Loper got the role of Artemis.  I  made that happen. When this movie blows up...when she's a huge star…you'll know." _

_ "That she's a whore?" _

_ Irritation flashes across Aaron's face, but Logan's wounds are too obvious and visible for the emotion to take hold. Once again, his face becomes the picture of geniality, and he looks over his shoulder to make sure Lynn hasn't returned. _

_ "No, son. Power. You had no idea at the time, but you literally held her career in your hands, along with her itty-bitty titties. She's being given this opportunity of a lifetime because of you. I never really liked her holier-than-thou attitude, but she serviced you, so I serviced her." _

_ Logan wants to throw up. Is he supposed to be impressed? _

_ "Even good girls will go bad for the right incentive." _

_ Logan thinks of Taylor Spencer from school. She had been a good girl before he'd met her. She'd never even been kissed. A few weeks ago, he and Dylan had caught her in the woods near school with her hands down Andrew Seeley's pants. _

_ "Good girls can be corrupted. Power is everything, son." _

 

Veronica won’t let this go. "You said ' _ stole _ ', Logan. If you were so willing, how did she steal your virginity?" she presses.

Logan drops his head back, staring at the stars for guidance, and then lets out a sigh. "You know how in the old Westerns the father will get a hooker for his son as a rite of passage to usher him into manhood? Well... my  papa got me a starlet. I just didn't know about it until a month later. He thought I was a bit too...flamboyant."

Veronica's jaw literally drops. It would be kind of cute if he weren't under the microscope at the moment. "Your dad has no gaydar. If he wants to see flamboyant, he should watch his own damn movies. When did this happen?"

"Um...last week of school. Before I moved to Neptune...and met you."

"How?"

"Veronica, I know you've taken Health class."

"How did it happen?"

"Um...a party. Dad was back from filming. Called me over and told me he could tell how bored I was. It was fine with him if I wanted to sneak off to my room. He didn't have to tell me twice. I got to my room, and she was already there. Lying on my bed, playing a video game. She smiled and told me to lock the door, and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven." He lets out a bitter laugh.

"But Logan…" Veronica's voice is pained. "...She was so much older…"

He turns his body away, unable to meet her eyes. He remembers the day he met her. The pity and revulsion in her eyes when he'd tested the waters, telling her only how the hangers-on were always hitting on him. He can’t bear to see that look on her face again.

"Logan always looked much older," Duncan volunteers. As if that matters.

"Casting couch deal," Logan says, staring at the ground. "She got to play Artemis. Dad got a son who was a real man."

"Dude, your dad whored you out?" Duncan says.

"Technically, he whored  _ her _  out. That time."

"There were  _ other _  times?" Veronica chokes.

"Uh...Well...there were a few dates he ordered me to go on. Like when he was trying to get the part in  _ Fists of Vengeance _ . It was right after _'_ _ The Echolls at Home _ _'_ spread in US Weekly, and dear old dad promised the producer's daughter a date with me. Ordered me to quote 'make her happy no matter what'."

"You think he meant—" Veronica starts.

"No, of course not. The box of condoms he tossed at me was for weighing down papers." He finally meets Veronica's eyes and is blown away by the fury in them. She spins on her heel as if she’s about to go use her fists to extract some vengeance of her own, and then stops.

"He's in the Czech Republic, Veronica," he says softly.

She looks ready to kill or maim on his behalf, and his heart skips a beat at her ferocity - reminding him again of the first time he ever saw her.

He closes the distance between them and wraps his arms around her from behind. "It's okay, Veronica. I swear," he whispers next to her ear. " _ I'm _  okay."

 

_ The hospital releases him after two weeks, and his parents make him wear a blindfold for the last fifteen minutes on the ride home. _

_ "This doesn't sound like our house." he says, at the sound of his mom's heel clicks on the floor. _

_ "Surprise!" Aaron says, pulling off the blindfold. "Welcome home!" _

_ "Where are we?" _

_ "About three streets away from Duncan Kane's house. We've already moved in." Aaron says with a huge grin, reaching for Logan's hand. He's nearly manic at this point. Self-absolution must feel good. "Come on! Let's go see your room." _

_ Weeks later, Logan steps up to the chalk sideline of a soccer field at Neptune Community Park and his life changes forever. _

 

Looking down now at the girl in his arms, he realizes everything has led here. Firecrackers, sprinklers, beatings, broken ribs, and even Lisa Loper.

"Hey," he says softly, "Suddenly, I'm completely over it. Let's go see _ Queen Bees _ _._ "

"Are you crazy?" Veronica says, spinning around and giving him an angry little shove. "I wouldn't watch that bitch in a movie if you paid me. The Notebook, it is."

As always, the sight of Veronica's furious, flashing eyes makes his dick twitch. It’s going to be a very long movie.

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Dollar Movies**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

This can not be happening. She'd survived the debacle at the mall today just to find herself sitting in a musty old theater between two boys (because dudes can't sit together at the movies) watching a chick flick for God's sake.

The boy on her left is sniffling every few seconds, and the boy on her right is trying to molest her hand.

Why had she agreed to this again?

It starts when she finishes off her own small popcorn and reaches her hand into Logan's bag. And why shouldn't she? He should have known to get her a larger bag. She grabs a few kernels, but Logan snags her wrist before she can eat them, pulling her hand to his own mouth, and sucking in the popcorn and the tips of two of her fingers. His teeth bite down gently, and she feels it in her entire body.

She gasps and yanked her hand free, but moments later, he pulls it back to his side of the armrest.

He presses his lips to the back of her hand, and each knuckle before turning her hand over and kissing the center of her palm.

She tries to pull free again, but he holds on. "Something wrong, V?" he asks in a too-loud voice.

She knows what he was doing. He’s banking on her not wanting to alert Duncan to her predicament.

Duncan's eyes are transfixed on the movie. How can he not see what Logan is up to? Then again, he's always been a single-tasker.

Veronica's breath hitches as Logan kisses the inside of her wrist, scraping his teeth against her skin.

_ Damn it! He just…does it for me! _

On screen, the couple has their passionate reunion kiss, and Logan leans over to whisper in her ear "They ain't got nothing on us, Veronica." As the kiss moves indoors and clothes start flying , he revises his opinion. "Okay, maybe they do. For now. Until you finally get around to seducing me."

"Logan, will you shut up?" Veronica hisses.

"Huh?" Duncan says, from her other side.

"Nothing. Just...Logan."

"Oh," Duncan says as if that explains everything.

Logan finds a new way to amuse himself, drawing letters on the palm of her hand with his index finger.

Y-O-U-K-N-O-W-Y-O-U-W-A-N-T-T-O-K-I-S-S-M-E-A-G-A-I-N

She can barely make out his profile in the dark, but she’s pretty sure there’s a smirk. She twists her hand to flip him off - he'd feel it even if he can't see it - but he responds by sucking that finger into his mouth to the first knuckle, applying a hint of suction before slowly pulling it back out.

Veronica turns and opens her mouth, prepared to give him an earful, but ends up with a mouthful instead - of popcorn.

_ Did he just feed me to shut me up? _

She’s was on the verge of getting up and storming out - seriously, if this is his idea of  not  trying to seduce her, she'd hate to see his full-court press - when the action starts heating up on screen.

She stays to watch. The on screen couple are arguing. The man chasing the woman to her car.

_ "Well that's what we do! We fight! You tell me when I'm being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you when you're being a pain in the ass! Which you are, 99% of the time. I'm not afraid to hurt your feelings, you have like a two-second rebound rate and you're back doing the next pain in the ass thing." _

Veronica's breath catches, and she feels a tight ache in her chest. She risks a glance at Logan, and finds him staring at her. She flashes him a soft smile, unsure if he can even see it in the dark.

When he twines their fingers together, she doesn’t struggle, and she allows him to feed her bites of popcorn with his free hand for the remainder of the movie.

She’s almost disappointed when the credits start to roll, and he lets go of her hand.

In the dingy lobby, Veronica sees that both Logan and Duncan have red-rimmed eyes, and has to hide her grin.

_ You sweet, sappy, sentimental boys. _

On the way out of the theater, the  _ Queen Bees _  poster catches her eye, making her angry all over again.

Walking back to the motel, Logan starts to reach for her hand, but reading the expression on her face, changes his mind. He puts a few feet of space between them, and appears to be pouting.

_ Oh hell. He thinks I'm pissed at him. _

She’s about to reassure him, to tell him he didn't do anything (other than his stunts in the theater), when Duncan sidles up on her left.

"So...uh...what did you think of the movie?"

"It had its moments."  _ Like that glimpse of Ryan Gosling's bare butt. _

Logan begins pulling ahead.

_ Think you could bother to wait for us, Logan? _

"Watching that movie, I couldn't help but think about us," Duncan says, "You and I."

That jolts Veronica out of her thoughts. "You saw YOU AND ME in that couple?" she asks, unable to hide her incredulity.

"No," Duncan laughs, sadly. "Not at all. Not even a  _ hint _  of us."

Veronica stops and turns to look at him. "Then what are you trying to say?"

"Why do you think we never fought?"

"Um...because we had nothing to fight about?"

"I had a…" He blows out a breath as if preparing to say something embarrassing. "I had a conversation with my dead sister earlier today while I was waiting for you and Logan."

"And she convinced you how unflattering that beige striped polo is?"

"Um...No…?" Duncan says, looking down at his shirt in confusion. "What's wrong with it?"

"Why am I the only one she hounds with fashion advice?" she pouts. "So you were saying?"

"Lilly said you and I had no spark," he says, looking at his feet.

"I don't know if I'd say  _ that _ ," Veronica says, "Maybe there wasn't a raging inferno," –  _ Like I have with your best friend _ – But there was a spark."

"But we were too much alike," he presses. "She said you and I never challenged each other."

Veronica points a finger at him. "I challenge you to...stop worrying about the past."

"Oh, I am. I didn't really get what she meant earlier, until I saw that movie. The passion between that couple...You and I were never going to be that for each other, were we?"

"No, probably not," Veronica admits.

"And maybe...we both deserve to have something like that in our lives?"

"Are you trying to tell me you want to break up?" Veronica teases.

"Umm…" Duncan hesitates.

"We never actually broke up," Veronica reminds him. "You just stopped talking to me."

"Oh, right," Duncan says, with a small smile. "Okay, how do I do this?"

He reaches for her hand, looking at her earnestly. "Veronica, I don't think this is working out between us."

Veronica laughs softly and then affects a shocked expression. "What are you trying to say, Duncan?"

"It's not you, it's me?" Duncan asks with a raised eyebrow.

"That the best you've got?"

"I love you, but I'm not  in  love with you?"

"A little better."

"I need my space?"

"Good one," Veronica nods. "Especially after the way I've smothered you over the past year."

Logan, walking ahead, realizes they'd stopped and turns back, "What are you two doing back there?"

"Breaking up," Veronica and Duncan say simultaneously, and then laugh.

"You two are nuts," Logan throws his hands up dramatically, and continues walking back to the motel.

Veronica and Duncan follow slowly behind.

"So you were saying?" she says.

"Oh...I'm just not ready for anything serious?"

"So I should stop writing Veronica Kane on my Trapper Keeper, huh?"

"I think we're moving too fast?"

"It's the china pattern I picked out, isn't it? Too delicate?"

"You can do better than me."

"Never! You're so open. And attentive."

"I think we should see other people?"

Veronica puts a hand on Duncan's arm. "Finally! Ready to confess your deep and abiding love for Logan?"

"I will, if you will," he smirks.

_ " What? _ Logan and I aren't ... "

"Sorry," he laughs. "Blame Lilly for that one. So...I hope we can still be friends." He flashes her a soft teasing smile.

"I'd like that." She smiles back. "Ahhh what the hell." she pulls him in for a hug. "I missed you, you big dummy."

"Missed you too," Duncan says, "So why is Logan pouting?"

"I think I mistakenly gave him a signal that I was pissed at him, when it wasn't him at all."

"It was me?" Duncan asks, surprised.

"Nah. His dad. As soon as I saw that  _ Queen Bees _  poster, I got angry all over again."

"Yeah...That was pretty screwed up."

"That's not screwed up, it's criminal."

They lapse into silence for the remainder of the walk back to the motel, Veronica remembering the boy she met at twelve. Tall for his age, but not as tall as he is now. Skinnier. Just as graceful. Cocky as hell, but so sweet at the same time. A little lost and much more vulnerable - he hadn't yet perfected his barriers. She'd known that he'd experienced much more of life than she had, but would never have imagined he'd recently lost his virginity to America's Sweetheart, and had crossed a line he could never come back from. She becomes more and more worked up until she finds herself on the verge of tears.

"Hey," Veronica says, putting a hand on Duncan's arm. "Go back to the room with Logan. I need some Peggy time, okay? Just call me when Antonio shows up with the Explorer."

"Sure thing," Duncan says.

 

"Peggy?" Veronica calls tentatively as she enters the office, her voice quavering.

Peggy steps into the doorway. "Veronica, is everything alright?"

Veronica pushes past her into the kitchen, breathing hard.

"Veronica…?"

"Give me a moment," Veronica says in a rough voice. Her shoulders vibrate, and she bites her bottom lip hard. "Had to get away. Couldn't let them see me this way."

Peggy runs a hand down Veronica's arm. "Let it out Veronica. Contrary to what you believe, crying does not make you weak."

She rolls up her eyes to stare at the ceiling, blinking rapidly to keep the tears in, but she fears she’s losing the battle when the corners of her lips take on a life of their own, trying to twist into an ugly grimace. She clenches her front teeth in an attempt to control her jaw.

"You're safe with me," Peggy says soothingly. "Did Logan do something to hurt you?"

"I'm not hurt. I'm pissed! I'm furious." Her voice breaks. "I want to throw something!"

Peggy tentatively reaches out for Veronica and when she doesn’t flinch, pulls her into her arms.

"What'd he do now?"

"Do? Logan?" she says. "Nothing. Done to him?" Her voice takes on a choking quality and two tears spill over the edge. "Remember when you mentioned that Logan may have been emotionally abused? Well it was worse. Much worse."

Peggy pulls out a chair and guides Veronica to sit. Veronica wipes away her tears with a napkin and then spends the next several minutes recounting Logan's revelation outside the theater.

"Twelve years old, Peggy! He should have been…" she lifts her hands in frustration. "...he should have been listening to emo music in a dark room, and playing video games, and reading Harry Potter. Not stroking his father's ego, and not being used as a bargaining chip. Or like a prostitute."

Peggy remains silent, allowing Veronica to rant.

"The day I met him...He told me how he was always fighting off these Hollywood hangers-on. I heard him, but I guess didn't understand the implication then. Not really."

"Nobody should be expected to understand those kinds of implications at the age of twelve, Veronica. You were still innocent."

_ Too innocent. Too naïve. _

What had she been thinking back then? Of  course,  he wouldn't have wanted her. He'd already had sex with a beautiful movie star.

_ And here I was daydreaming about holding hands - and maybe my first kiss, if I was feeling really risqué. _

He’d been way out of her league, but that hadn't stopped her from pining over him for a long time. It was hard not to, when he was constantly in her face. Hanging all over her best friend.

She lets out a breath. "Parents are supposed to protect their children, not throw them to the sharks."

"And that explains the haircut, I guess." She reaches up and touches her own hair.

"The haircut?"

"He reacted a bit...hostilely...when they showed some celebrities on T.V. who cut their hair like mine. I thought it was his sister he was reacting to, but it wasn't. It was her. Lisa Loper. "

Veronica angrily swipes away another tear. "Oh my God! The sex tapes!"

"Sex tapes?"

"I found a hidden camera set-up in Logan's pool house the day we...our last day in Neptune. Hidden behind a cabinet and aimed at the bed. There were a couple dozen tapes, and at least three of them showed Logan having sex with under aged girls."

"He kept sex tapes of his own son?"

"Yes. I could see maybe if the camera was motion-activated and Aaron got rid of the tapes, but he went to the trouble to date and label them, and slide them into his neat little rows."

She rises from the table and begins pacing the kitchen, the soles of her boots making squeaking sounds on the linoleum. "I want to go after him. We could get him for Sexual Abuse, right?"

Peggy considers the question. "Sexual Exploitation at the very least. Child Pornography, probably."

"Okay, I want to go after him for that. He needs to pay for what he's done."

"Veronica," Peggy says gently. "I know you don't want to hear this, but that's a decision Logan needs to make."

"Logan will say he's fine. But he can't be. The fact that he's avoided seeing every Lisa Loper movie has to say something. She's been in everything."

"Think about how prideful Logan is. Do you really think he would want the world to know about this exploitation? You need to tread very carefully."

Veronica feels impotent with rage. She wants to hurt somebody. Preferably a certain hammy actor with bad hair.

Her throat closes up so that she can barely swallow, and tears once again burn her eyes. "It's not fair," she says, well aware by now that the world isn't a fair place. "Everybody should have a choice over who their first time is with." A sob wrenches from her throat, and her eyes shoot up to Peggy's as if in denial that the sound had issued from her.

Peggy's eyes show more compassion than Veronica can bear. "We're not only talking about Logan anymore, are we?" she asks gently.

Another sob breaks free as Veronica bites her lip and stares at the floor.

"We're not talking about Ciaran Fitzpatrick either. Somebody else hurt you."

Veronica's shoulders begin shaking, and she gives up the pretense as she finds herself enfolded into Peggy's arms. She allows the ugly noises out, as Peggy strokes the back of her head and tells her to let it out.

When Veronica has cried herself out, Peggy wets a paper towel and swipes at the mascara tracks. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

"I appreciate that, I really do. But I'm not ready yet."

Peggy nods.

"We're leaving first thing in the morning, but if you wouldn't mind...if I ever am ready to talk?...would it be okay for me to call you?"

"Of course it is, Veronica. Don't even hesitate to call me if you need anything."

Veronica gives her a shy uncomfortable smile.

"But you don't like to need people, do you?" Peggy says.

Veronica shakes her head no.

"You need those boys, Veronica, and they need you, and acknowledging that will make you stronger, not weaker. It'll make all three of you stronger."

_ I do need him. Them. _

Her thoughts are interrupted by the ugly ring of the burner cell in her pocket. She answers it, and Duncan informs her that Antonio Navarro is there with the Explorer.

"Can you tell I've been crying?" Veronica asks Peggy.

Peggy rubs at a smudge of mascara. "You're fine now. Be good to Logan, but don't treat him like he's broken. He would hate that."

Veronica sighs. "I know. This is too much, on top of all the emotional stuff between us the past couple days."

 

"Where's Logan?" Veronica asks, as Duncan meets her outside of the motel office.

Duncan rolls his eyes. "Folding laundry. Those loads he put in the dryers before we headed to the mall. He doesn't trust me to do it right."

"He doesn't trust you to fold?"

"He says he can fold flatter and neater - so we can fit more into our bags. He wants everything packed up and put in the truck tonight so that we can take off first thing in the morning."

The return of the Explorer is uneventful. Money changes hands - less than she'd expected to be honest,  _ Thank you Weevil _ \- and Antonio drives off with his brother Fernando.

Veronica moves the truck, backing it in to park in front of their room and Logan comes out with two bags.

The Explorer itself has been given the Soccer Mom Special, down to the annoying stick figure family decal on the rear window.

"That's it," Logan says, pointing at the sticker. "Now we  _ have _  to get a dog."

"And a kid?"

"Duncan can be the kid," Logan says. "We'll just get him a dress. And a hair bow."

"I heard that," Duncan says, walking past them into the room.

Logan holds the door and motions Veronica inside. Several piles of clothing and a laundry basket take up most of their bed, so Veronica takes a seat at the foot.

"So you finished up the laundry while I was talking to Peggy."

"It's not rocket science. Just getting us prepared to leave."

"And you wouldn't let Duncan help fold?"

"I've been traveling my entire life. I'm an efficient packer," Logan says, dropping onto the bed and reaching into the basket. "Plus he already had his chance to get into your panties." He plucks out a pair of raspberry-colored cotton bikini underwear.

"It's called respect dude," Duncan says from the other bed. "You should try it some time."

Veronica watches in horror as Logan folds her underwear into a tiny bundle and places it on the top of one of the stacks. He doesn’t make a big deal out it, so she lets out the breath she'd been holding as he reaches for the next item, a tee shirt that she thinks might be Duncan's.

"Honey?" Veronica says.

"Yes Sweetums?" Logan answers.

"When you're done with the laundry why don't you make me a martini and a meatloaf?"

He arches a single brow. "Long day busting balls?"

"No rest for the wicked." She shrugs.

Logan finishes his folding and, after setting out three outfits for the morning, like a mother of toddlers, moves each stack of clothing to its respective bag.

"I think we should take our showers tonight. It'll get us out of here earlier in the morning," Logan says, hefting a bag onto his shoulder, reaching for a second one, and trying to grab a third.

"You don't have to carry everything," Veronica says, jumping up and taking the third bag. She opens the door, allowing him to go outside first.

"How much more?" she asks after the bags are stowed in the trunk area.

"Couple more bags," Logan says. He grabs Veronica's wrist before she can head back into the room.

"Hey. I'm sorry about the movie," he says, "It was all in fun. I didn't realize it would get you that upset."

"The movie? Oh that." She smiles to show that she isn't angry. "No, I'm used to you acting like a perv."

"So then… what?" his eyes narrow in confusion. "What else did I do?"

"Nothing. Why does everyone think you did something? I'm pissed at your dad."

"Oh…" Logan sighs and turns away. As always, a hand goes straight to his hair. "I don't know why I even mentioned it."

"It pisses me off. You should have been able to pick. Who your first time was with, I mean."

"Why?" He laughs, bitterly. "So I could have picked Lilly? I couldn't even stand her at the time."

And that was another thing that has never made sense to Veronica. How had he gone from finding Lilly annoying to making out with her so quickly?

"You think she waited for me? I wasn't her first either." At Veronica's expression of surprise, he continues. "Some pool boy. Someone older. Not Weevil."

Veronica takes a moment to digest this latest development. Lilly would have been thirteen. Still way too young.

"Logan, imagine you - at your age - having sex with a twelve year old. Maybe one of those girls at the mall today."

Logan looks appalled at the suggestion.

"See? You were a baby. You were way too young. They should have known better. Your dad especially."

"It really wasn't a big deal. Just forget about it."

"Not a big deal?" Veronica raises her voice. "It's a crime, and we need to do something about it."

"No. We really don't," Logan says, firmly. "Let it go."

"No. I'm not going to let it go," Veronica says, grabbing him by the forearm. "We could go to the press. With those three sex tapes, we could at least get him for child pornography. A handwriting expert could examine the labels. And Peggy said that the other stuff was Sexual Exploitation, so-"

"Peggy said what?" Logan's voice becomes ice. He yanks his arm free.

"Sexual exploitation. He tried to pimp you out to get roles, plus the—"

"You told PEGGY what I told you?" Logan's voice grows louder.

"Oh…" She bites her lip and looks at the ground. "Yeah."

"You had no business telling that to Peggy!" he yells.

"It's not a big deal, Logan," Veronica says. "She's on our side."

"I know she's on our side, but that information is nobody's business."

"I can't help it Logan," Veronica's voice rises. "I sit down with Peggy and everything just sort of spills out."

Logan turns away running his hands through his hair.

"She gives me perspective. Especially when it comes to you."

"You've talked about me BEFORE?" He takes a few steps away and then turns back, lacing his fingers on the back of his head. "Do I have any secrets left?"

"Just about yesterday. What happened. At 7-11. And Carolann. And—"

"Oh fucking great!" Logan shouts, throwing his hands up. "So I'm a porno-starring, sexually exploited asshole who made out with you before going out on a date with her goddaughter!"

"Logan…" she reaches out for him, but he pulls away.

"No! Don't touch me!" he says, warding her off with his hands. "I need...some space." He turns and walks away.

"I'm sorry, Logan," She calls after him.

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

The door swings open and Veronica wanders in, looking shell-shocked.

"S'wrong?" Duncan asks, looking up from his new sketchpad. "Where's Logan?"

She sighs, dropping heavily onto her bed. "We got in a fight. He took off."

"You got in a fight." Duncan repeats, shaking his head. "You weren't even out there for three minutes."

"I was stupid, and told Peggy what he told us about Lisa Loper and his dad, and he blew up at me."

"Smart move, Einstein," Duncan says, "Don't you know how private he is? I've known him since I was five, and he's never told me that story."

"I really appreciate your support," she grumbles, dropping her face into her hands.

"You two are crazy. I can't tell from moment to moment whether you're fighting or best friends. You're almost like—"

"If you say like the couple in that movie, I'm going to punch you in the face," Veronica says.

"Violence will not be necessary." Duncan laughs, holding up his hands. "It'll be fine, Veronica.  _ I know _  Logan. Better than anyone. He'll head straight to the Moonglow, get smashed, hook-up with some skank, and show up in the morning ashamed and hung-over."

Veronica manages not to flinch at the idea of Logan hooking up with some skank. "You consider that  _ fine ? _  That is NOT fine. That's a disaster. Was he even wearing a disguise? A hat? Glasses? We have to go bring him back."

"You really want to deal with a drunk and pissed off Logan?"

She can feel her lower lip protruding in a pout. "No...?"

"Thought you'd see reason," Duncan says.

_ " You're _  going to go bring him back."

"No," he says, "I'm not."

"Duncan…" Veronica whines.

"No. Don't pull that on me, Veronica." Duncan says. "Do you know what I had to go through today? You two were in that mall, undisguised and surrounded by hundreds of people who knew your identities."

Veronica tries to appear contrite.

"I almost had a panic attack when those cops pulled up. I had to be talked down off the ledge by a hallucination of my dead sister. So if Logan wants to go and knock back a few drinks…"

"Logan hasn't had a drink since we left home."

"Surely he's been sipping at that flask of his."

"Nope, honestly, I haven't even seen the flask."

"Really? Well then, I don't see what the problem is. Let him be."

Duncan isn't going to budge, and Veronica realizes this is a first. He's never stood up to her before.

"Fine. Do you want to shower first?" she asks.

"No, you go ahead."

 

Veronica is in and out of the shower in under fifteen minutes. While Duncan takes his turn, Veronica boots up her laptop. She’s disappointed to find that Wallace hasn't emailed, but maybe he’s out. It is Friday night, after all.

Veronica is checking the tracking software when Duncan comes out of the bathroom. She lets out a whoop when she sees Liam Fitzpatrick's Barracuda is headed back to Dallas again. Crazy as it was, Logan's plan had worked.

"Well, it worked. Liam Fitzpatrick has turned around and is heading back this way."

"Good...I guess." Duncan says. "To be honest, that's not much of a consolation. It kind of scares the shit out of me."

"Duncan Kane, did you just swear?"

His cheeks pinken. "My dead sister told me to earlier."

"Glad to know she has her priorities in order."

"You don't even look at me like I'm crazy. For talking to her."

"Nope. She talks to me now and then. Logan has seen her. At least he saw her that day in the park."

"She said my meds were keeping me from seeing her. But Dr. Tony said coming off the meds could cause hallucinations."

"I wouldn't worry too much about finding an explanation. I don't think it makes you crazy."

The original burner phone rings before she can say anything else.

"Hello?" Veronica says warily.

"Veronica…"

"Padre." She smiles. "I take it you're somewhere secure."

"I am. Mind explaining to me what you were thinking?"

"Just now? Ice cream. Hot fudge sundae, to be exact."

"You know what I meant. What were you thinking when you and Logan entered a Dallas shopping mall undisguised?"

"We had to dad. It was Logan. He started twitching and drooling. We had to get him to an Abercrombie store stat."

"I don't even know what that means."

"Just a little pretty-boy humor."

Duncan snickers from the other bed, and Veronica points a finger at him. "And what would I find if I checked the tags on your clothing?"

He shrugs, looking down with a small smile on his face.

She returns her attention to her phone call. "We needed to do something big to make Liam Fitzpatrick turn around and come back to Dallas."

Keith sighs. "Start from the beginning."

"The beginning? Once upon a time, a handsome county sheriff fell in love with-"

"Not that far back," Keith groans.

"Oh...Okay. As you know, a few days ago, Liam Fitzpatrick caught up with us in southern Texas. We managed to disable him and cuff him to the sink."

"Okay."

"Well, it was the second day in a row that we'd been caught by a Fitzpatrick. We were traveling down Interstate 10, and the Fitzpatricks were right on our tail. Since we wanted to continue traveling down Interstate 10, we needed to send the Fitzpatricks off in a different direction."

"Dallas."

"Yes. I stole his car when we left. The intention was to drive out of our way for a couple hours to Dallas, leave the Barracuda somewhere it would be impounded, and plant some clues to draw him up North."

"But somehow you ended up in a different vehicle - some SUV, judging by the interior - with Liam chasing you at high speeds."

"Yep. The Barracuda overheated on the freeway. But I managed to plant a tracking device on it."

"I don't know whether to yell at you for stealing my gadgets or praise you for being a genius."

"I'd go with the praise." Veronica says. "It fosters a sense of teamwork."

"Just go on," Keith says.

"So after that little debacle on the freeway, not only did Liam know what we were driving, but there was enough body damage that the truck would attract attention. So we took it to a chop shop to have it fixed and painted."

"And you just happened to have a Dallas area chop-shop on speed dial?"

"Let's just say I have friends in low places."

"Weevil Navarro."

"Weevil who? I'm sorry, you're breaking up."

"I already knew you guys were working with Weevil. Logan said his name when he answered the phone the other day."

"Dad, you can't-"

"I have no plans to harass Weevil. Now get back to your story."

"Well, there was a three day turn-around on the body work. In the meantime, we had Weevil plant a rumor with a Fitzpatrick stooge that we were hiding out in Irving, Texas - a suburb on the other side of town. We watched Liam making his way around the Irving motels on the tracking software."

"So you've spent the last three days in the same city as Liam Fitzpatrick?"

"Don't worry. Our motel is off the beaten path. He would never find us here."

"That doesn't explain how you ended up in the mall."

"When we woke up this morning, there were reports that we'd been arrested in Florida. I checked the tracking software, and Liam was already hours outside of Dallas heading to Florida."

"So what? Let him go east, and you guys head north."

"No, we're definitely heading east."

"You're saying you already had a destination in mind?"

"Yes."

"Veronica...I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do.  _ We _  do. Weevil's contact was unavailable, so we needed to do something huge. Something that would hit the news immediately, rather than later."

"So you decided to incite a riot?"

"Well...we were hoping for the get in/get out approach. We had everything planned out. We staked out the mall, located the security cameras, and timed the guards on their rounds. How were we to know one of the guards would cut his rounds short twice so he could flirt with everything that moved?"

"If you were planning to get in/get out, how could you be sure it would hit the news?"

"Oh, we kind of planted the story that we'd be there on a few message boards."

"You thought of all that?" Keith says, admiration obvious in his voice.

"Nope. Logan did."

"Logan Echolls came up with a plan like that?"

"He's much smarter than you think. While we were there, we managed to plant some clues that we were heading to Chicago or Cleveland. If Liam starts heading up North, we should know definitively whether him and Lamb are working together."

"Speaking of Logan...Anything else you might want to tell me about?"

"Umm...Not really."

"Let me be more specific," Keith said. "Anything you want to tell me about the nature of your relationship with Logan?"

"Nope."

"Veronica," he growls. "Witnesses are claiming Logan announced he was pursuing you romantically."

Veronica sighs. "Dad, that was a ploy."

"A ploy," he says, skeptically.

"Yes. A ploy. And it worked, obviously."

"Explain this ploy to me."

"Logan spent his entire life watching Aaron Echolls manipulate his fans. He knew what he was doing."

On the other bed, Duncan looks up in interest.

"He said if they wanted a love triangle, we'd give them a love triangle. He pretended to be...into me...gave them what they wanted - and as a result, those girls protected us from three security guards."

"And that's all it was?"

"That's all it was."

"Good," Keith said. "...good. So I saw that Duncan is awake."

"Yep, he's up."

"How's that going?"

"It's going well. We're getting there."

"Let me talk to Logan."

"He's not here."

"What do you mean he's not there? Where is he?"

Veronica sighs. "Off...somewhere."

"You don't know where he is?" Keith's voice starts rising. "He left you alone with Duncan Kane?"

"Um...yeah?"

"He promised me he'd watch out for you."

"Don't blame him, dad." Veronica says, "It's my fault. I blabbed something he told me in confidence. He's just cooling off."

"I don't care what you've done, he shouldn't be leaving you alone with Duncan."

_ Well then, I probably shouldn't mention his date last night. _

"How's the Liam case going?" she asks, changing the subject.

"I have somebody combing through their financials, but so far, nothing. I have a handful of rumors, but no conclusive evidence for anything. Yet."

"Crap."

"On the other hand…" Keith starts.

"Yes?"

"I've located Cheyenne the escort."

"Ahh…Cheyenne the hooker. I was wondering where she'd gotten off to. Can't take your eye off her for a second."

Keith laughs. "Abel Koontz had a standing weekly appointment with Cheyenne - he was with her at the time of Lilly's death, and I have a phone record to prove it."

Veronica hops off the bed, and heads into the bathroom, lowering her voice. "So she can prove that Abel Koontz is innocent?"

"Yeah, I'm heading to Vegas first thing in the morning. That's why I want you to be extra careful with Duncan."

"You can't possibly think-"

"Who knows, Veronica? Once this comes out and the investigation reopens? Anything's possible. I want you to have Logan call me tomorrow."

"Dad…" she whines.

"Veronica, I'm serious. I need to be absolutely certain that he's keeping you protected."

"I can protect myself. I have my taser, and I know how to use it."

"Veronica," he says, sternly.

"Fine," she pouts. "I'll have Logan call you tomorrow."

"Now how hard was that?"

They say their goodbyes, and Veronica hangs up.

"Is everything alright?" Duncan asks when she comes back out.

"Yeah, just...family stuff. Oh my God!" She says with a gasp. She snatches the sketchpad from Duncan's hands. "You did this?"

"No, the sketch fairies came while you were out of the room."

"You weren't even working from a photograph?"

"Nope. She's my sister. I've been looking at her my entire life."

"Wow. This is very very good, Duncan."

"Thanks." He looks embarrassed.

"You ever consider being an artist for a living?"

Duncan gives her a resigned smile. "It wasn't part of the ten year plan."

She gets his point immediately. Art wasn't part of the White House Prep curriculum.

Strangely, despite the grim circumstances, she's seen positive changes in him the past couple days. As if a great weight has been taken off his shoulders. As if he’s a new person.

She drops down onto her bed. "Freedom looks good on you, Duncan."

"Thanks. I guess."

"So, any chance you reconsidered and are about to go look for Logan?"

"Nope."

_ Damn! _

It isn't only his parent's influence he's shed.

She sighs, while images of Logan with skanks of all shapes and sizes dance in her head.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Six**  
**Logan**  
**Lakeview Court Motel – Room 118**  
**Dallas, Texas**

 

Well after midnight, Logan returns to their room. Veronica and Duncan are already in bed, and the lights are out, so he quietly takes a shower and goes about his nightly routine.

He stands next to the bed, unsure. His need to be next to her is overwhelming and kind of scary, but he'd probably screwed things up (again) when he'd yelled at her earlier. Why can't things ever go easy between them?

He hears a rustling from the bed. The squeak of bedsprings. A shadow moves in front of him, and then Veronica is groping for his hand. Giving it a tug. His left knee drops to the bed, and he has a moment to make out that she’s kneeling before him, and then her arms are wrapped around his neck, her cheek pressed to his chest.

"You're still up?" he whispers, and in his current emotional state, it means everything to him.

"Couldn't sleep." she says. _'_ _ Without you _ _'_ seems to be implied. "I'm so glad you came back."

It’s easier to see her abandonment issues now that he knows what he’s looking for. "Veronica…"

"I. Am  So.  Sorry. Logan," she says.

Logan sighs, lifts his second knee to the bed, and drops his face to her shoulder. His arms wrap around her loosely.

"Please don't be mad at me," she whispers.

"I'm not mad at you." And he really isn't. Anymore. He pulls her closer. There’s that scent again - like toasted marshmallow, but he realizes it’s her skin, not her hair. Except for the thin strap of her tank top, her shoulder is bare against his cheek. He turns his face to touch his lips to her skin. This is quickly becoming his favorite habit - wrapping himself around Veronica in dark rooms.

A faint snore comes from Duncan's bed, and Logan realizes that once again, he's forgotten that anybody in the world exists beyond the two of them. What would Duncan see if he woke up and turned on the light? An innocent hug? An odd hug, certainly, considering the time and setting. A glance could never reveal the unspoken pull between himself and Veronica, or the racing of his heart. The hyper-awareness of every inch of Veronica's body pressed against him. Her thighs to his thighs. Her breasts to his chest.

Every part of him wants to lay her down, guide her backwards, and cover her body with his own. Instead, he lowers himself to his right side, bringing her down next to him.

"You haven't been drinking."

"What makes you say that?"

"The way your breath tastes."

Despite the fact that they’re whispering, Duncan is still right in the other bed. 

Logan leans forward, tilting her face towards the ceiling so that his mouth is an inch from her ear - their cheeks touching. "I think I'd remember if your tongue had been in my mouth, Veronica."

"You know what I mean," she whispers - her mouth lines up with his ear as well. "No fumes on your breath. More like coffee."

"You’ve caught me," he says, "I've been with Peggy since I left."  _ Telling her my life story. Things I've never told anybody before. _ "You know girl talk."

Veronica's hand on his back squeezes him tightly in a one-handed hug.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing. Just thought..."

"That I was out drinking and carousing and fucking other girls?"

"Yeah," she admits with a nervous little laugh. "Although, you say _ other girls _  as if I'm your girlfriend or something."

_ You could be. You should be. Kind of feels like you are. _

"Hey, I get it. You'd rather die than admit that you're jealous. Don't think I've forgotten about our little bet either."

"I'm not—"

"Don't waste your time protesting. You cared enough to wait up for me. So anyway, I kind of get it now. Why you told Peggy."

Veronica hesitates as if trying to decide whether to let him get away with changing the subject before she can get in the last word. "There's something about her," she says finally, apparently willing to let it go.

"Yeah, you feel like no matter what you tell her, she would never ever judge you."

"Exactly. So, what are we going to do about your dad?"

"Do? We're not going to do anything."

"But—"

"But nothing. He's out of my life, Veronica. He has no idea where I am. That's all that matters."

She tilts her head as if to look him in the eyes. "I just...I  _ hate _  him, Logan." Even at a whisper, he can hear the trembling in her voice. His gut twists at the knowledge that he - Logan Echolls, psychotic jackass - inspires that kind of emotion in her. "I hate him so damn much for doing that to you."

"I know." He lifts a hand to stroke her cheek. "And I love you for that."

He freezes. "Wait! That came out—"

"I know how you meant it." She laughs.

"Good. Wouldn't want to be giving you a big head or anything. So...how you handling the breakup?" he asks, changing the subject.

"I'm strangely ambivalent."

"He give you a reason this time?"

"Quite a few. Something about wanting to see other people. I guess you two are finally free to consummate your forbidden love."

"You mean I get to be the center of the love triangle for once?" Logan asks with exaggerated delight. "Will you fight him for me?"

"Nope."

"That's why you bought that self-defense DVD, huh? Gonna knock DK around a bit to keep him away from your man?"

"Nope, he can have you."

"Awww…You just called me your man."

"No I didn't...wait...you tricked—"

"Get some sleep, Veronica." Logan snickers, pulling back to his own pillow.

"You're a real ass sometimes, Logan." She says, snuggling closely against him.

"Ass?" Being his typical pain-in-the-ass self, Logan's free hand slides down to her butt.

Veronica sighs, reaching behind her, and moving his hand back to the safety of her lower back. She can feel him silently giggling against the top of her head.

"You think you're so funny."

"Four out of five fangirls agree."

"Let's see how you like it," Veronica says, sliding her hand down to cup his butt.

Logan grins, waiting for her to realize her mistake.

_ Five Mississippi...Six Mississippi...Seven Mississippi _

She snatches her hand back with a huff, moving it to his hip. Logan smirks, grabbing her hand and returning it to his butt.

"Happy?" she asks, giving his ass a little squeeze. His dick twitches in response.

"Mmmm hmmm. My reverse psychology worked," Logan says. "Don't suppose you feel like groping my chest?"

"Do you ever shut up Logan?"

"When I'm kissing?"

"Nice try."

Yep, he’s seriously getting hard now, between the banter and the fact that she still hasn't let go of his ass. She'll be feeling it any second now.

"Hey," he says, pulling back, "It's been a really rough night. All this talk about my dad and stuff."

"Okay?"

"Think maybe tonight you can keep  _ my _  back warm?"

"Roll over," she answers, her voice gentle.

Logan rolls onto his left side, and Veronica snuggles against him. Her hand circles around him, and he presses it to his heart, covering it with his own.

She lifts up slightly, to kiss him softly on the cheek.

A huge grin spreads across Logan's face. "You like me," he teases.

"Go to sleep, Loverboy."

"Your Loverboy?"

"Good night."


	22. Day Seven - Welcome to Bluebell, Alabama

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Veronica**  
**Country road 20 miles out of Mobile, Alabama**

 

Veronica slams the hood of the Explorer in annoyance, turning to the two boys waiting for a diagnosis.

Logan's thumbs are hooked in his jean pockets, and his smirk borders on predatory. "Well?"

"Broken belt."

"What does that mean?" Duncan asks. He stands hunched, chewing on a fingernail.

"A. Belt. Is. Broken." Veronica enunciates slowly.

"So what can we do about it?" Logan asks, following her to the back of the truck.

"I can't fix it. We'll need to get it into a shop." Veronica glances to the right and left, seeing only a two-lane blacktop road and grassy fields in both directions.

She lifts the rear hatch, and digs out a small bottle of hand sanitizer from her bag.

"So uh…you still have to go to the bathroom?" Logan smirks and points at a tall strand of weeds.

"Strangely enough, I just don't have to go anymore," Veronica answers with a palms-up _'_ _ whadya-gonna-do?' _  gesture.

He  _ would _  have to point out that she'd gotten them into this mess. How was she to predict that the area around (and ten minutes down the road from) the exit would be devoid of gas stations, fast food joints, or any other sign of civilization? She'd really needed to go at the time.

She squirts a dime-sized dollop of sanitizer gel into her palms and rub them together, tossing the bottle back into her bag.

Duncan joins them behind the Explorer. "So...who should we call?"

They all glance at each other, lost for ideas.

"Well we can't call Triple A," Veronica hops up to sit on her duffel bag in the rear compartment. Despite the sweltering heat, she feels half-naked in her black graphic-printed tank top and denim short-shorts.

_ Lesson learned. Next time your perverted... whatever the hell Logan is…sets out clothes for you, double-check his choices before he stashes the rest of your stuff in the truck. _

Logan had woken them at 6:00 AM, practically dragging Veronica to the bathroom to brush her teeth, she was so drowsy. After an emotional goodbye with Peggy, and promises to keep in touch, they managed to be on the road by 6:30 AM, with a bag full of foil-wrapped baked goods. They made good time for the first eight hours or so. Until Veronica's bladder insisted they find a restroom immediately.

And here they are.

Logan lifts his foot to the bumper to Veronica's left, and shifts his weight forward, leaning his forearms on his knee. Duncan takes a seat on the other side of Logan.

Veronica has no idea what to do next. She supposes calling 411 to get the number for the nearest auto shop is one option, but she doesn’t even have a nearby city to name.

"Let's wait fifteen or twenty minutes and see if anybody comes along," Veronica says, "We can ask them to send a tow truck back for us."

"Can we at least turn on the AC? It has to be at least 100 degrees out," Duncan asks.

"105," Logan says, "At least. And I can barely breathe."

"Unfortunately, no," Veronica says, She can barely breathe either, but she isn't sure what kind of damage turning the truck back on might do. She points up. "The lift gate is about the best we can do for shade."

Logan nods and crawls up into the cargo area, kneeling on the overstuffed duffel bags and leaning over the back seat to reach for the mini fridge. Veronica can't help but admire his ass sticking up in the air, but with Duncan looking on, she has to cover by turning and reaching for her box-o-disguises. Yesterday, while preparing her mall disguise, she'd found a long-forgotten and never-used pair of dark brown colored-contacts buried under the curly brown wig.

Logan lifts back up and stretches to hand Duncan a bottle of some vile looking carrot juice.

"Thanks," Duncan says, shaking up the bottle.

"Now I'll get something for you, Ronnie." His voice is honey sweet, but his self-satisfied grin tells her he’s well aware she'd been checking him out.

_ How does he do that? _

This time when he bends over the back seat, Veronica makes sure to keep her eyes focused on the interior of the box, digging around until she finds the contact lens case.

"How did you learn so much about cars, Veronica?" Duncan asks, by way of being conversational.

"You're kidding, right?" She glances up, glaring.

Duncan frowns and bites his lip. "I'm kidding?"

Logan turns back around, handing Veronica a Skist and making himself comfortable on the duffel bags.

Veronica accepts the drink without looking away from Duncan, popping the top and taking a sip of the fizzy orange soda. "You know...once you and Darth Vader here declared war against my car, I had to learn pretty quickly how to fix things."

"I swear..." Duncan puts up a hand in protest. "I never declared war on you  _ or _ your car."

"But you can't say you didn't know what they were up to, right?"

"Wait, I get to be the Dark Lord, right?" Logan asks.

Veronica's anger fizzles as quickly as it flares up.  _ Freaking Logan _ . In a moment when he should be contrite and asking for forgiveness, he goes for the joke.

_ And stupid me for being amused by the charming bastard. _

"You were born for the role." She pats him on the knee reassuringly. She’s melting in her barely-there outfit, so Logan must be dying in his jeans and snug black long-sleeved tee shirt. Then again, this is the guy who wore leather racing jackets in California.

"If I would have known people were messing with your car, I would have stopped them," Duncan says.

"Right…" Veronica says, letting out a breath, and pointing her thumb at Logan who’s sitting a little too close. "Just as easy to stop a hurricane, or some other force of nature."

"For the record, I prefer volcano," Logan says, licking his finger and touching her arm with a sizzling sound effect.

"Ewww Logan, will you keep your spit off me?"

He bobs his eyebrows at her suggestively, and she flashes him a flirtatious smile before she can help herself.

_ Quit encouraging him, Veronica. _

Veronica shivers at the visual. "Hold this," she tells Logan, handing him a hand mirror and lifting his arm to eye level.

Staring into the mirror, she carefully inserts one of the colored contacts. "Didn't either of your parents ever teach you anything about cars?"

"I pay other people to worry about my car," Logan answers, lifting her chin with his free hand to examine her face with two different colored eyes. "Creepy, but strangely hot."

"My dad tried to teach me some car basics once, but my mom went on a tirade about getting grease on my hands and bringing it into her house. Duncan says.

Logan glances over at him. "Your mom is a freak."

Veronica inserts the second contact lens, and blinks several times, before tossing the lens case into her messenger bag.

"She's not so bad." Duncan says.

Veronica holds up the shoulder length brunette wig and the longer fluffy blonde Jessica Simpson style wig. "Which one?"

Logan points to the blonde wig.

_ Of course. _

She tosses the brunette wig back into the box and places the blonde one on her head, adjusting its placement before taking the mirror from Logan.

"Dude, your mom is so uptight she could stick a piece of coal—"

"Logan…" Duncan warns.

Veronica smothers a laugh. "She  _ is _  an ice bitch."

"She's just reserved."

"She has serious issues. No wonder your dad's getting a little something on the side," Logan says.

Duncan's alarmed eyes fly up to Logan's. "What?"

_ Dammit Logan! Try thinking before you speak. _

"Nothing, man. Just a guess." Logan looks away, pretending to be interested in watching Veronica apply makeup in the hand mirror.

"That wasn't a guess. What do you know?"

"Fuck! Why did I say anything?"

Veronica glares. "Good job, Logan," she said under her breath.

Duncan's voice is like steel. "Tell. Me. Now."

"Fine." Logan lifts his hands in  a  _ 'you-asked-for-it' _  gesture.  " I was in Veronica's bedroom, and she had a photo on her bulletin board of your dad coming out of a room at the Camelot."

"Oh." Duncan seems to slump in upon himself.

_ Will I be able to lie to him about my mom? _

"She wouldn't tell me who was in the room with your dad, though," Logan says.

Out of sight from Duncan, Veronica lightly pinches Logan's side to get him to shut up. "I never saw her. The woman didn't come out of the room,"

Logan pinches her back. Not hard enough to hurt. "Yeah, but you know who it is anyway. I could tell."

"Leave it alone, Logan," Duncan says.

His reaction surprises Veronica.  _ Why isn't he asking any questions? _

"Dude, I'm telling you, she knows who your dad is banging on the side."

"I  _ said _  leave it alone." Duncan's voice holds a hint of a growl. "I know who he was with."

"You do?" Logan and Veronica ask simultaneously.

Veronica feels a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her lips press together in a slight grimace.  _ How could he possibly know? Did he see my mom with his dad? _

"Yeah, and let's just forget about it. Okay?"

"Wait," Logan says, "You know who it is. Veronica knows who it is. And neither of you will talk about it. It's not my mom, is it?"

Duncan snickers and shakes his head. "No man, it's not your mom."

"If it is, I'm okay with it," Logan says, quickly. "It's not like my dad hasn't cheated on her a thousand times. I'd be happy for her if she found somebody to make her happy. You know?"

"It's not your mom, Logan," Duncan repeats.

"So then who is it?"

"Ask me again, and I'll start walking," Duncan says, pointing vaguely down the road.

"Like hell you will," Logan snaps. "I didn't spend days changing your diaper for you to die of heat stroke on some Alabammy back road."

Duncan looks ready to resort to violence. "Heat stroke might still be preferable to listening to your mouth."

"Sore subject?" Logan asks in his cockiest tone.

"Ya  _ think _ ?"

"BOYS!"

They both turn to Veronica.

"Stop it! We can't afford to be fighting among ourselves."

"Unless it's you and Logan, and then it's perfectly fine," Duncan mutters.

"She does love a good fight, doesn't she?"

"Daily, it seems."

"Wait. You're turning this around on  _ me _ ?"  Veronica asks incredulously.

Both boys smirk, and execute a well-practiced blind fist-bump.

_ Assholes. _

The truck becomes silent. Duncan retrieves his mystery novel and alternates between reading and fanning himself with it. Veronica spends several minutes applying eye makeup in the mirror - a little more than usual. 

As thanks for getting her charges dismissed, Loretta Cancun had given Veronica a few tips for using makeup to change her appearance. She’s not sure where they’ll would end up this afternoon, how long they’ll be there, or how many people will see them, but she doesn’t want to take any chances. As she applies a sparkly pink lip gloss, she senses eyes upon her. Glancing up, she finds Logan staring intently at her mouth.

_ Wondering if it's flavored? You like watermelon, Logan? _

When his eyes lift, Veronica gets the impression that he would like watermelon very very much. Her heart begins pounding as their eyes lock.

Every instinct in her body tells her to close the distance and kiss him. Every instinct in her head tells her that it’s the stupidest mistake she could make.

At the sound of an approaching vehicle, the spell is broken. Logan breaks the eye-contact with a heavy exhale, slips on his fake glasses and digs around in his bag-o-disguises for a hat, coming up with the black fedora he hasn't worn yet.

_ Damn. If I wasn't tempted to make out with him a minute ago… _

"Hey, if they stop for us, don't forget to use your aliases." Veronica reminds them.

"Duh?" Logan says, moving out into the road to intercept the approaching truck.

"Duncan…?" Veronica says. "You haven't really had any practice."

"Um…Declan…Marshall?" he answers, fumbling in his bag for his own cap and rectangular glasses.

"Right. And you're my…?"

"Brother."

"Older or younger?"

"Younger, by twelve months."

"And we're from?"

"Seattle, Washington."

"Good."

 

Veronica climbs out of the back of the truck to join Logan by the road, and Duncan follows.

The approaching truck slows and pulls to a stop and the driver gets out.

"Car trouble?" he asks. He’s a good-looking guy, around Duncan's height with dark hair and blue eyes. He looks to be two or three years older than they are.

"Yeah, broken belt under the hood," Veronica answers. "Could you possibly call a tow truck for us?"

"I could, but you'd probably be waiting for hours." He speaks in a soft drawl. "Hop in, I'll give you a lift to town, and we can send a tow truck back for your truck."

"We can't get into a car with you," Veronica says.

"If it helps, I'm a law student, not an axe murderer," he flashes a blinding white smile, and holds out a hand. "George Tucker."

"Victoria Marshall," Veronica says, taking the offered hand and shaking. "My fiancé, Nolan," she gestures to Logan, "and my brother Declan."

George Tucker shakes hands with the boys. "So now that we're all acquainted, it wouldn't be neighborly of me to leave you stranded out here in the heat. Hop in."

"How do you know that we're not the axe murderers?" Veronica asks.

George snorts in laughter. "Are you an axe murderer?"

"No."

"Well then…" He motions to his truck.

Veronica aims a questioning glance at the boys.

Logan shrugs, "If he tries anything, there's three of us."

Veronica still hesitates.

"Air conditioning," he says under his breath.

"Okay," Veronica says. "We'll accept your offer. Thank you for stopping to help."

Logan and Veronica slide into the back seat, while Duncan climbs into the front.

"Ahhh…." Veronica lets out a deep sigh. "I have never been so thankful for AC."

"It's our annual autumn heat wave," George says. "Makes people a little crazy around here.

"So where's  ' _ here' _ _?_ Where exactly are we headed?" Veronica asks.

"Bluebell, Alabama. Founded 1702 by Cyrus Lavinius Jeremiah Jones."

"Ahh…" Veronica says. "I was going to ask about the founding next, but you just read my mind."

George flashes a smile in the rearview.

Still tired from waking so early, Veronica leans her head against Logan. He glances down at her with soft eyes and then swings an arm around her and pulls her closer. They sit quietly, drowsily, while George and Duncan converse in the front seat. George explains how he was considering some New York law firms after finishing law school, and Duncan expresses a mutual love for the city. The conversation takes off from there.

After five minutes of this, Veronica whispers in Logan's ear. "They're so much alike, it's spooky."

"They're like the same person," Logan whispers back.

"They look alike, they have the same opinions, and - other than the accent - they even talk alike. Maybe they're long-lost brothers."

"Almost there," George announces, as they passed the Bluebell, Alabama sign, which incidentally, also paid homage to the great Cyrus Lavinius Jeremiah Jones.

Driving through the town's main street, Veronica realizes that half the residents – from the elderly man in a wheelchair to the toddler being pulled in a wagon – are wearing royal blue and white.

"You forgot to mention the dress code?" Logan asks. "They going to run us out of town?"

"Homecoming weekend," George explains. "Hopefully the heat will break before tomorrow's big game."

He drives past a town square that looks like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, with the tall steepled church and white painted buildings on its far side and the quaint octagon gazebo in its center. Laughing children leap through sprinklers, while older ladies with hand fans line the park benches.

A small group of young women congregate on the sidewalk, dressed as if they've just stepped off the set of a 50's family show.

"It's like the land time forgot," Logan whispers.

"I know."

Two blocks later, George pulls into the parking lot for Rusty's Wrench.

Yes.

Rusty's Wrench.

George Tucker follows them inside and introduces them to Rusty.

After Veronica has the chance to quickly use the restroom, she explains what she'd found under the hood, and Rusty agrees to send a tow truck for the Explorer.

"So…how many hours do you think it'll take?" Logan asks.

Rusty meets George's eyes and they both snort in laughter.

"What?"

Rusty wipes his hands on a greasy rag that Veronica can't help but think of stealing and leaving on Celeste Kane's kitchen counter. "It's Homecoming weekend. It ain't getting fixed tonight."

Logan pushes. "What if we paid extra?"

"It's not about money, son," Rusty says. "It's about team spirit. Homecoming weekend is a national holiday in Bluebell."

Logan partially turns away, running his free hand through the front of his hair in frustration.

"Tell you what," Rusty says, holding up a hand. "I'll get up early tomorrow. I can probably have you back on the road by 11:00 AM."

"Thank you very much. We appreciate it," Duncan says, and Veronica mouths a 'thanks' as well.

"So I guess we'll be needing a motel," Veronica says.

"You'll never be able to get a motel room today," George says.

"Let me take a wild guess," Logan says. "Homecoming weekend?"

"Guessed it in one." George says.

"So have any suggestions?" Duncan asks.

"I'll call over to the bed & breakfast. They should still have a few rooms available," George said, stepping away and pulling out his cell.

"Y'all be careful tonight," Rusty warns. "The heat wave makes people a little crazy around here."

"How so?" Duncan asks.

"Heat wave fever. Lowered inhibitions. More reckless accidents. Much more baby making." He nods at Logan and Veronica.

_ Um...no! No baby making happening here, thank you very much. _

"I don't understand the connection between weather and behavior," Duncan says.

"It is what it is," Rusty says. "Bluebell is virtually crime free 99% of the year - except for homecoming pranks, and heat wave recklessness. I don't envy Sheriff Pickett over the fact that they're falling on the same weekend this year."

"Doesn't he have backup?" Veronica asks, still not quite buying heat-influenced bad behavior.

"Only if you count one deputy as backup. We're a small, quiet town. Nothing ever happens around here."

 

The Whippoorwill Blossom Inn is a white, three-story Victorian structure with a huge wrap-around porch, a large second story balcony, and three roof gables.

Inside, they wait in a spacious formal living room with gleaming hardwood floors, lace drapes, and Chippendale furniture arranged on a red oriental carpet. The cloying smell of old-fashioned potpourri emanates from several scattered bowls. A radio nearby plays a soft rock channel.

_ Luckily, the AC is fully functional here. _

George and Duncan talk quietly on mauve damask love seat.

Veronica stands by the window, flipping the pages of a small full-color Bluebell, Alabama brochure she'd snagged from a stack on the windowsill, while Logs looked over her shoulder. Page four is an advertisement for the very B&B they’re currently standing in, showing three mugs of coffee with graduated degrees of whiteness.

Logan reads the text aloud. "Your home away from home in Bluebell. Enjoy complimentary breakfast and over 200 books to read in the lobby."

Veronica glances dubiously at the nearby paperback book spinner full of ancient Harlequin Romances.

_ Try more like 25. _

"I have to read them in the lobby?" Logan asks. "Guess that rules out 'War and Peace'."

Veronica rolls her eyes. "As if you'd even have the attention span for a comic book."

"You wound me." Logan tugs the brochure out of her hand. "I'll have you know I've read Tolstoy."

"Oh yeah?" Veronica tries to tug the brochure back. "Like what?"

"Anna Karenina. Well… half of it."

_ Of course, he has. Why do I ever bother questioning him? _

"Why would you read Anna Karenina?"

Logan's eyes drop and he takes on what Veronica has come to recognize as his embarrassed voice. "Because it was supposed to be about this great passionate love affair. I thought it would be...spicy."

She suppresses her urge to smirk. This is the same boy who'd cried last night watching The Notebook, after all. "So then why did you stop?"

"Because it was about a crappy mother. I already have one of those at home. Didn't need to read a 1000 page book about somebody else's."

"Lo—" Veronica stops herself from finishing the name and lowers her voice. "Your mom is sweet."

"Sure she is." Logan nods, but she can tell he only half means it. "And hey, at least she hasn't abandoned me for a Russian Count. See? Anna even makes my mom look good."

"But not mine." Veronica says quietly.

"Crap," Logan says, "I wasn't thinking."

Veronica nods.

Logan persists, touching her arm. "Hey. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You planning to abandon me for a Russian Count?" Veronica yanks the brochure away with a grin and turns her back to Logan.

Depends on how cute he is." He smirks, reaching around her for the booklet.

Loud footsteps approach, and the proprietress speaks in a voice that seems to bounce off the walls. "Hello, ya'll. Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Kitty Wallis, and I run this place. Which of you are the newlyweds?" She’s in her fifties, of medium height with cropped salt and pepper hair. Her piercing blue eyes land on Logan and Veronica, still playing tug of war with the brochure. "Oh never mind."

"Who us?" Veronica asks. "We're not newlyweds. Yet."

"Hmm, I must have marked you down wrong." Kitty double-checks the clipboard in her hand. "I have you in the Rosebud room"

"Rosebud?" Logan mouths to Veronica, and she shrugged.

The manager turns to their companion. "Hello George, how's law school?"

"It's going well. Good to see you, Kitty. Let me introduce Declan Marshall, his sister, Victoria, and her fiancé, Nolan Ellis."

"Nice to meet you."

George says his goodbyes, while Kitty collects their room keys. "Follow me, and I'll show you to your rooms."

She guides them to a staircase. "Watch your feet. I have six cats running around here."

The three Neptunians exchange glances.

_ Six? _

Kitty leads them to the second story. She stops to open a door on the right, flicking the light switch. "This is the bathroom for the floor. Obviously, you'll want to knock before entering, and lock it when you're inside."

"Wait," Logan interrupts. "What do you mean _'_ _ the bathroom for the floor _ _'_? What about in our room?"

"This is a B&B, dear," Kitty says, turning the light back off and closing the door. "You share a bathroom with the other guests."

Veronica almost laughs at the horrified expression on Logan's face. She whispers in his ear, "You'll survive, princess."

"How many other guests are there?" Logan asks.

"On this floor? Only you three." The manager takes a few more steps and stops near a door to the left. She glances down at her clipboard. "Declan? This is our Buttercup room." She unlocks the door, and hands the key to Duncan.

"Thanks. I'll catch you guys later," Duncan said, closing the door behind him. He holds his mystery novel and his sketchbook, so Veronica has a feeling they won't be seeing him for a while.

She continues down the hall, unlocking the next door on the left, and handing the key to Logan, before opening the double doors. "Welcome to our Rosebud room. I'll call in the morning before sending breakfast up. I suggest you stay in, but if you choose to go out, there's a great band -  _ Bayou Circus _  - playing nearby tonight. Bluesy Rock."

"Why do you suggest we stay in?" Veronica asks.

"Heat wave."

"You too? You really think the heat affects people's behavior?"

Kitty shakes her head, sadly. "Heat waves make us do stupid things we almost always regret. No reason you have to succumb. I suggest you stay in and let the moment pass."

"That's the plan," Logan says.

"I hope your stay here at the Whippoorwill is satisfactory."

Kitty leaves, and Logan and Veronica examine their room. A wrought iron bed with a champagne colored comforter dominates the space. Gold brocade curtains cover the windows, while the walls are painted a golden yellow.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Logan asks.

"You bet I am," Veronica says, "Naptime!"

"Actually, I was thinking about sex." Logan waggles his eyebrows. "But naps are nice."

He takes a flying leap onto the bed lying diagonally, and tests each of the pillows until he finds one he likes.

"God Logan, how much bed do you need?" Veronica asks, nudging him to make room for her.

"Like it matters." He hooks an arm around her and yanks her onto the bed and slightly underneath him. "You always end up in my arms anyway."

"What?" Veronica pushes against his chest halfheartedly. "We're not even bothering with a pretense anymore?"

"Why bother with pretense? I know what I like." He kisses the tip of her nose.

_ I'm starting to get an idea about what I like too, and that only goes to prove that I'm losing my mind. _

"Move, so I can get under the covers," Veronica says, lifting up onto her knees.

Logan wiggles the covers down enough to slide underneath and tugs her back into his arms.

"It's not exactly cold out, Veronica."

"You're fully dressed. Thanks to  _ somebody _ , I'm half naked."

"We'll just have to remedy that." Logan's hand on her hip moves to inch up her tank top, in a manner meant to be teasing, rather than serious. "You know what they say about heat waves. Lower inhibitions and all that."

"God, Logan!"

He laughs when she slaps his hand, and rolls onto his back, pulling the fedora down to cover his eyes. "Now quit babbling so I can take a nap." A grin spreads across his face.

Veronica can’t help but laugh as she snuggles against his side. He’s warm and comfy, and smells delicious.

She’s struggling to maintain her objectivity when it comes to Logan. Sure she’d offered him forgiveness for the sake of being able to live together. It’s the forgetting that’s coming a little too easily. She needs to constantly remind herself that a week ago they were adversaries. And that he'd rejected her - not only after Lilly's death, but at every other opportunity as well.

But something primal inside her just keeps saying: This. Good.

Especially in the last twenty-four hours. Had something changed between them in that mop closet? Was their embrace when he came to bed last night as intimate as it had felt?

_ Stay strong, Veronica. This is Logan. _

She’s almost dozed off when a knock sounds on the door.

"Get the door," she tells Logan.

"I will for a kiss," he mumbles, without moving the hat from his face.

She lifts up on her elbow and kisses his cheek.

"Mouth. Tongue."

"Keep dreaming," Veronica says, sighing and climbing out of bed.

"That's what I thought," Logan says, and she realizes he'd just manipulated her into getting out of bed.

"Ass."

He grins. "What's that about my ass?"

 

A tall, very attractive blonde waits in the hallway. She wears an A-line floral printed dress with a paperweight cardigan, and looks Veronica up and down when she opens the door. "Well aren't you just the most a _ dor _ able little thing," she says in a Scarlett O'Hara drawl.

"I like to think so," Veronica says. "How can I help you?"

"Lemon Breeland." The girl holds out her hand and Veronica isn't sure if she’s supposed to shake it, or kiss her ring.  _ Lemon? For real? _ "You met my boyfriend, earlier. George Tucker."

_ Ahhh. She thinks her boyfriend rescued a damsel in distress and she's here to scope out the threat level. _

"Nice to meet you," Veronica says, going with a handshake. "George was very helpful. I'm Victoria Marshall. The bum on the bed is my fiancé, Nolan." She gestures over her shoulder with her thumb.

"Hey." Logan waves, without moving his hat.

_ Rude little jackass. _

Down the hall, the door to the shared bathroom opens, and Duncan comes out. He wanders over to see what’s going on. "My brother, Declan," Veronica says.

"Nice to meet you," Duncan says.

Logan finally gets out of bed and joins Veronica at the door.

"So how can I help you?" Veronica repeats.

"George mentioned that you were trapped here for the night."

"That's true."

"Well then you just have to join us at the Rammer Jammer tonight. There's a great band playing."

"The  _ Rammer Jammer? _ " Veronica repeats in amusement. "Thanks for the offer but…"

"Vickie and I were planning on a quiet night alone," Logan says, sliding his arms around her, leaning his chin on her shoulder.

"Nonsense," Lemon says dismissively. "You'll have the rest of your life to spend time alone. As the leader of The Belles, it's my job to ensure that you thoroughly enjoy your stay in Bluebell."

_ Or to make sure outsiders don't have designs upon your boyfriend? _

"We really cant…"

Lemon persists. "I insist on showing you a good time tonight."

"I wouldn't mind getting out," Duncan speaks up, surprising Veronica.

"Really?"

Duncan and George had hit it off earlier, but Veronica suspects his decision has more to do with Lilly's ghostly visitation and something about swearing more.

"We do have to eat, Sweetie," Logan says.

"Well the Rammer Jammer has the best burgers in all of Alabama."

Veronica hesitates. She can tell that behind the saccharine-sweet voice, Lemon Breeland has a core of steel. She’s not used to taking no for an answer, and resisting any further might call  _ more _ attention to them than just giving in.

Logan and Duncan are both still disguised. She checks the wall mirror to the right of the door. Her makeup has survived the almost-nap, and with the brown eyes and long hair, she’s barely recognizable.

"I don't have anything to wear," Veronica says in a last-ditch attempt to get out of it. "I can't go out dressed like this."

Lemon eyes her clothing. "You're right. That won't do at all. We'll just have to head over to Collette's and find you something new, won't we?"

"I don't need anything new. I have clothes in the truck"

"Over at Rusty's? They're locked-up tight for the night. Now grab your pocket book and let's go."

Veronica shoots Logan a beseeching glance, but he only grins and hands her the green messenger bag. "Your pocket book, Sweetie," he says, giving her a kiss on the cheek and guiding her out the door. "Have fun shopping."

"We'll be back for you two," Lemon points at the boys before linking her arm through Veronica's and dragging her away. Veronica glares at Logan over her shoulder but he only laughs.

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**The Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell Alabama**

 

The walk from the Whippoorwill Blossom Inn to the Rammer Jammer takes less than ten minutes. Despite the stifling heat, Logan doesn’t mind walking. Their route takes them past such locations as the town square, Bluebell Community Church, The Dixie Stop, Fancie's Restaurant (Bluebell's #1 place for fine dining, he remembers from the brochure), and the Mane Street Beauty Salon (The bigger the hair, the closer to God) where a woman coiffed to resemble Scarlett O'Hara preens happily in a mirror. Main Street Americana at its finest.

Every so often, teenager-packed muscle cars fly past honking horns - already reveling for tomorrow's big game. Homecoming in Neptune has never been this…infectious. In fact, nobody ever even attends the games. Funny, these kids are probably his own age, but a decade behind in life experience.

"Do you think we could have been wholesome if we'd have grown up here?" Logan asks, idly.

"Duncan and I? Probably. You'd probably still be the town bad boy. Just...less bad," Veronica answers.

He isn't sure if he should be hurt, but at the look on his face, Veronica reaches for his hand. "Come on, Logan. Wholesome? You don't want to be wholesome."

"I don't?"

Duncan joins in. "No, you just want to get laid. As often as possible. By as many different girls as you can."

_ Is that what you believe? _ Logan asks Veronica with his eyes.

_ No? _  she answers with hers, but it seems more a question than an answer.

His arm slides around her shoulders and gives her a little squeeze. "I could have been wholesome," he says.

"I kind of like you bad," Veronica answers, quietly enough for only Logan to hear. She isn't looking at him, but her lips are curled up in a tiny smile.

 

As they approach the bar, Logan isn't sure what to make of it. The brown-painted building is clean and decently maintained, but strands of bare bulbs lining the roofline give the bar an undeserved ramshackle appearance, and in case you didn't know where you were, the large red neon sign spelling out  _ Rammer Jammer _  in curved cursive letters would be your first clue.

Veronica keeps sneaking glances at him as they walk.

_ Must be the fedora. She'd definitely been encouraging when he'd purchased it. _

Not that he isn't sneaking glances himself. He'd noticed Lemon Breeland and many of the women of Bluebell dressed like fifties housewives, but he has to admit the Grace Kelly style looks hot on Veronica. Her dress reminds him of something...

_ That white dress she wore to Shelly's party. _

His gut twists painfully at the memory. He usually tries not to think about that night, but sometimes little flashes of memory force their way past his defenses. The way he'd felt when she'd arrived. Cold rage mixed with a grudging admiration. An intense desire to finish the job of 'breaking her'. For closure. So he could move on with his life.

Little had he known at the time, but Veronica would soon start fighting back - sneers and smack-downs, choppy hair, and boots. Closure would become the last thing he wanted.

Sometimes he remembers how ethereal she'd looked stretched out on that lounger. The way she'd tasted on his tongue. He'd done body shots off dozens of girls over the years, but nothing had ever felt as...depraved...as running his tongue across Veronica's skin. His enemy, who he still remembered loving.

He'd thought her degradation would feel like victory, so the utter lack of satisfaction in the moment felt like a punch to the gut. When Rams leaned over her to take a turn, Logan had felt an intense desire to beat-in his face. It wasn't supposed to be that way. He hated her. Possessiveness had no place here.

His own weakness infuriated him even more. So he’d waved over more guys. Laughed and cheered and dug his fingernails into his palms as he watched two more tongues lick the drunk girl in the chair.  _ His girl _ . They pushed him forward for another turn, and he perched at the edge of her chair. And then she opened her eyes and looked into his, and...

_ Stop thinking about it, asshole. I'm not that person anymore. Neither is she. _

Tonight's dress isn't really that similar anyway. The cotton fabric and the A-line shape, maybe. It’s strapless, a delicate embroidered pattern in black on a white background, and flared out slightly, with some kind of under-layer that peeks out an inch or two below the scalloped hem.

He usually likes her tough and edgy, but this feminine look is great as well. Hell, she could wear a garbage bag and he'd still want her.

_ But does she want me? _

_ Time to find out. _

As they step into the bar, - _ blessed air conditioning _  - Lemon Breeland lifts a hand to wave them over to an already packed table. Logan holds Veronica back, allowing Duncan to go ahead.

"So hey…you remember our little bet?"

"Our little bet?" she tilts her head, playing dumb. Her exposed skin, gleaming from the humidity is sexy as hell.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. That night at the Moonglow, I bet you I could make you act like a jealous girlfriend."

"Oh. That bet. What brings this up?"

"Can you think of a better opportunity?" he says.

She tilts her head to the left, thinking. "What kind of stakes we talking here?"

Logan considers for a second and then grins a little too widely. "A kiss. To collect any time I choose."

Veronica laughs. "So much for your over-confidence that I'm going to kiss you first."

_ First? You're slipping, Veronica. _

He steps forward into her personal space, running the side of his thumb over that spot on her neck. "Oh, you will. Count on it."

Veronica stares up at him, clearly shaken, and he has a moment's satisfaction. Then she recovers, smirks at him, and says, "Fine. It's not like I'm going to lose anyway."

"What are your terms?" Logan asks, although he’s fairly confident he'll be winning this bet. She might have a poker face, but he has much more experience in pretending not to care.

She takes a moment to think it over. "Another neck rub. No - a back rub. A good one. At least thirty minutes."

Logan nearly laughs out loud. "So let me make sure I heard this right. I either get to make out with you or put my hands all over you? Now I'm not sure whether I want to win or lose."

"Funny, Romeo. Way to try to make everything sexual."

"It's kind of what I do."

"So it's a bet?"

Logan shakes the hand Veronica holds out.

He’s turning to join Duncan, who’s having an animated conversation with George, when she stops him again. "Wait."

He turns back. Veronica is rubbing the back of her neck and looking at her feet.

"Hey," she glances up with large, nervous eyes and puts her hand on his arm. "You're leaving with me, right?"

_ How does she go from smug to vulnerable in two seconds flat? _

Logan takes a turn playing dumb. "Well, I thought we'd stay for a while. Get some food and stuff."

She sighs in annoyance. "Just promise me you won't take off with some bimbo and leave me behind, okay?"

"Wow, we haven't even started, and you're already getting jealous?" he says.

_ You still don't get it Ronnie, do you? All I want is you. _

"No. It's just…" For a fraction of a second, something almost like fear crosses her eyes. "I wouldn't mind having a little fun myself tonight. Maybe have a few drinks."

"Okay…?"

"It's just…" she looks away, exhales, and then looks back up at him. "I don't drink very often, and drinking around strangers still makes me a little nervous."

_ Is she thinking about that night? Does she think I would let somebody do body shots off her in this bar? I'd kill anybody who tried to hurt her. _

_ Like I did. _

"You deserve to have fun, V."

"But you'll keep an eye on me, right? We can split up and mingle, but no matter who you flirt with, and no matter who I flirt with, we leave together, okay?"

He can tell this is important to her. "Absolutely. It's a deal."

"Thanks."

"One more thing," Logan says, "Bet ends when we leave."

"Obviously."

"No, I mean anything I do tonight to bring out your jealous side doesn't get held against me later. No hard feelings."

"Why would there be hard feelings?"

Logan grins and touches his forehead to hers. "Because you're crazy about me."

Veronica laughs. "One of us is crazy, but it's not me."

"De-ni-al." He pulls back and glances over at the table. Duncan is in the midst of an animated conversation -or at least animated for him - with George. "Now come on, I'm thirsty."

"You sure nobody's going to recognize me?" Veronica asks.

"Nobody's going to recognize you. Between the hair, and the makeup and the eyes, you don't look like you."

She smiles at him then, and he wants to call the whole bet off and spend the entire night at her side. But he can't do that. Not only have they shaken, not only is the bet a win/win for him, but he needs some kind of sign, because she sure as hell isn't going to admit anything.

Is it already getting hot in here?

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

The interior of the bar is larger than it looks from outside. Another neon Rammer Jammer sign hangs on an exposed brick wall along with a stuffed shark and multiple posters of a pig gritting his teeth announcing CLJ Jones High School Homecoming Week. Large-bulb Christmas lights hang everywhere.

Veronica trails Logan to the table where Duncan sits chatting with George, Lemon, and a handful of big haired beauties.

_ Damn. Too many blondes. Logan will be in heaven. _

Luckily, Lemon - who’s more likely to be Logan's type than the others - blonde and dominant - is off the market.

He’s looking entirely too good, in his jeans and snug long sleeved black tee shirt. She's always liked him best in black. And then there’s the hat. Not that he doesn’t look good in the usual baseball caps he'd taken to wearing every day, but the fedora… It isn't so much the hat as the fact that he wears it so well. The boy doesn’t have a self-conscious bone in his body.

She wants to drink tonight. She feels safe in this town. From what she'd gathered from Lemon, watching TV is not a common pursuit in Bluebell. People get out into the community here - between celebrations, contests and charity work - the locals keep busy.

She trusts Logan to keep his word, and for once, she doesn’t want to be responsible. She wants to be seventeen, doing something illicit. She wants the weight on her chest to lighten. She wants an escape from the constant...tension...between herself and Logan.

Lemon and company have several tables pushed together near the stage where the band is setting up equipment. She stands as they approach, waving at her girlfriends to move down and make room. Veronica takes the chair to Lemon's left, and Logan sits to Veronica's left at the head of the table.

She hates to admit it, but shopping with Lemon earlier had not been unbearable. After she'd ascertained that Veronica had no designs whatsoever upon George Tucker, Lemon had thawed considerably, keeping up a steady stream of chatter about the town and her charity work.

Beneath all of Lemon's false gaiety and Type-A behavior, Veronica senses both strength and vulnerability. And luckily, she isn't one to linger. Within two minutes of stepping into Colette's, Lemon had her in a fitting room with three dresses to choose from (all flattering for her body type), and appropriate strapless lingerie. She'd wanted to balk at being 'handled' that way, but had found it strangely comforting. Lemon Breeland was about as different from Lilly Kane possible, but they both shared a certain way of being formidable.

"I've already introduced Declan to everybody," Lemon says, motioning for attention. "Everyone, this is Victoria who I told you about earlier, and…"

"Nolan," Veronica supplies.

"Nolan," Lemon repeats. "You've met George already. This is my closest girlfriend, AnnaBeth." She motions to a pretty girl with rich auburn hair.

"Nice to meet you," AnnaBeth says with a genuine smile.

"My dear friend, Cricket." Lemon points to a longhaired blonde.

"Pleasure," Cricket says.

"And my cousin, Betty." Lemon motions to the final blonde at the table.

Betty gives a little wave. "Hi."

Lemon reaches for a nearby pitcher containing a pale green frosty liquid and topped off her own glass before filling two glasses and sliding them to Veronica and Logan.

Veronica takes a tentative sip.

"Yummy!"

"Margarita. Wade's special recipe." Lemon starts to point, but finds the chair empty. "Where'd Wade disappear to this time?"

"Mr. Maynard needed his help lifting something in the back," Cricket says.

"Oh, well then you'll just have to meet him later," Lemon says, "Although...you won't be missing anything if you don't. He's a real pain in the backside."

"How so?"

"He's an uncultured, unmannered lout who thinks he's God's gift to women."

"Ahh...I know the type," Veronica nods towards her  _ 'fiancé' _ .

Lemon examines Logan thoughtfully. "I can see it," she says finally. "There's a certain...arrogance there."

"My only competition for his heart was his mirror."

Logan overhears that, and makes kissy lips at her.

The air conditioning that had felt so wonderful when they'd first entered the bar feels almost nonexistent now. The ceiling fan directly above their heads barely makes a dent in the heat.

But her margarita does.

Absolutely delicious.

The consensus at the table seems to be that the Rammer Jammer has the best burgers in the state, so when their waitress - an adorable Asian girl name Shelly with a scarf tied around her head al 'a vintage Madonna arrives, Veronica and both boys take the advice and order burgers and fries.

She glances around the table. Duncan appears to be deep in conversation with George and AnnaBeth. Logan is chatting up the two blondes.  _ Of course. _ Lemon is searching for something in her purse .  _ Pocket book _ _,_ she corrects herself.

She scans the rest of the bar. The band is still setting up, but most of the tables are already filled. The clientele seems to range from barely legal to retirees.

A tall guy emerges from a hallway at the back of the bar catching Veronica's attention. Blondish hair, tight jeans, a set of dimples to die for. She watches in shock as he whips off his tee shirt and uses it to dab at his forehead. He has the kind of abs that make her want to do laundry - the old-fashioned way. Gorgeous. And he knows it.

_ Oh yes. He will do nicely. _

"Who's Mr. I'm-Too-Sexy-For-My-Shirt over there?" she asks Lemon in an low voice.

"Where?" She follows Veronica's sight line and then rolls her eyes. "That would be Wade Kinsella. George's best friend. You do have a type, don't you?"

_ Well, assuming Logan and I were actually a couple, I could see where you might assume that. _

"I'm still stuck on the fact that he took his shirt off in a bar," Veronica says.

"That's just Wade. His shirts have a tendency of just  _ falling _  off." She makes a little  _ poof _  gesture with both hands.

The guy in question redresses, hiding the eye candy.

_ Who am I kidding? He's eye candy from head to toe. _

"Is he single?"

Lemon's eyes narrows. "I thought you and Nolan were engaged. You aren't like ... _ swingers _  or something, are you?" Her opinion on that is obvious by the distaste on her face.

Veronica snorts. "Nothing of the kind. Nolan and I are happy. Our relationship is solid. Except for one thing. Neither of us can agree which is the jealous one."

"And you think if you flirt with Wade he'll be jealous?"

"He literally made a bet with me that I'm the jealous one. I don't intend to lose that bet. I have a thirty minute massage riding on whether I can bring out his jealous side."

Lemon's glare turns into a twinkle. "Well…" she draws out the word as if she has something delicious to share. "If anybody can help you in a jealousy bet, it's Wade Kinsella. Ask me who he went to prom with."

"Um…who did he go to prom with?" Veronica isn't sure why she should care.

"Nobody. Ask me who he left with."

_ Sure, I'll play along. _ "Who'd he leave with?"

Lemon lowers her voice as if spilling something scandalous. "Three other guys' dates."

"Oh yeah, he will do nicely," Veronica says with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"You be careful, hear?" Lemon warns with a hand on Veronica's arm. "It's a heat wave."

"And everyone goes crazy?" Veronica rolls her eyes.

"Heat Wave Fever is an actual phenomenon," Lemon says. "As a matter of fact, my daddy is the town doctor, and his office is just overflowing today with people who got a little too reckless. Look around." Lemon flicks her hand towards a group of a dozen or so scantily dressed women on the far side of the bar. "People in this town treat the heat wave like a free pass to do things they normally wouldn't do in a million years. You had better keep an eye on your man."

"I trust Nolan not to take it beyond flirting," Veronica says.

_ But do I really? He's not really mine. He's under no obligation to keep it to just flirting. _

"This jealousy bet could end up backfiring," Lemon says, with a warning shake of the head.

 

  


 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Duncan**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

_ Alright, Lilly. I'm out. I'm having a drink. I even ordered a cheeseburger. Hope this qualifies as 'living a little' _

Alabama feels like a completely different country than California. Southern Belles, a reverence for history, football and apple pie.

_ Heat waves that make people crazy? _

He admires the gentility, but fears crossing invisible boundaries. You’d have to be born here to understand the social conventions.

He understands that the girls at their table are all legacy members of ' The Belles ', an elite society chosen to keep Bluebell's history alive. Mostly, it seems, they do charity work and like to dress up in Civil War era costumes.

They all seem a bit high-strung, but he likes AnnaBeth. She has a warmth to her Duncan finds appealing, and with her auburn hair, stands out in the sea of blondes, with the sort of beauty found in old Hollywood movies.

Across the table, Veronica and Lemon are speaking in hushed tones. Logan is flirting with the two other blonde Belles, Cricket and Betty. Duncan wonders which one he'll end up going home with.

_ Who am I kidding? It's Logan Echolls. He'll probably go home with both of them. _

"So Declan is an interesting name," AnnaBeth says in a drawl.

"Oh, um...thank you. I was named after my father. Uh...Declan Marshall the first."

"What do your parents do, Declan Marshall the second?"

_ Oh, you know, normal stuff. Inventing streaming video. Charity work. _

_ Lilly, what should I say? _

"Um...they're divorced. I live with my dad, who's a...plastic surgeon."

_ Why did I say that of all things? _

"Has he ever worked on you?"

"No, not me. But Nolan..." he points at Logan. "That's not his real nose."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. You ever see Adrian Brody? Imagine that nose."

"Your father must be very good at his job."

"Oh, he's a regular pioneer in his field."

AnnaBeth leans forward to speak to Logan around Cricket and Betty to her right. "Your nose looks very nice."

_ And  this  is what I get for trying to be funny. _

Logan raises an eyebrow. "Um...thanks?"

"Was it very painful?" Anna Beth asks. "The rhinoplasty? My cousin Matilda has been considering...work."

"The rhinoplasty?" Logan asks, eyes boring into Duncan.

"Ohhh." AnnaBeth covers her mouth. "Was it supposed to be a secret?"

_ Oops. _ Duncan tries to look contrite. "She was asking if my dad had performed any plastic surgery on me. And I accidentally let slip about your nose job."

"Right," Logan says, dryly. "My nose job."

Veronica lets out a loud cackle, and Logan turns to her. "I don't know what you're laughing about. I'm pretty sure you paid for that A Cup."

"I did not!"

"Sure you didn't."

Duncan laughs at the flinch on Logan's face. Veronica must have stomped on his foot, or pinched him really hard.

His laugh breaks off when they both turn their glares back on him.

"To answer your question," Logan says. "I didn't feel anything due to the anesthesia. And then the pain meds helped for the first day or two before Declan over there stole the rest of my pills."

"Oh yeah," Veronica joins in. "That was back before he went to rehab, wasn't it?"

"Ha ha!" Duncan says. "Real funny." He turns back to AnnaBeth. "Don't listen to them. They're just messing with me."

"Of course they are, hon," Anna Beth drawls. "I can tell teasing when I see it. So are you in school, Declan?"

_ Should have thought more about my cover story. There has to be more to me than being Victoria's little brother… And Veronica's…How old am I, 21? _

"Yes, I am, actually. I go to a small liberal arts school in Seattle called…um…Vandergraff College."

_ Sounds legit, right? _

"I've never heard of it. What do you study?"

"Art. Mostly drawing and painting."

AnnaBeth's eyes widen in interest. "Well isn't that delightful? Are you good?"

"I like to think so," he answers.

"I wish I could see your work. Do you have any with you?"

"No, it's all back home. Except for my sketchpad at the B&B."

"How about you?" Duncan asks. "You in school?"

"Business major. University of Alabama. Roll Tide!"

"What do you do for fun?"

"Oh who has time for fun?" she slaps him on the arm, playfully. "The annual debutante balls need to be planned, my charity work with Homeless Hunting Hounds of the Hurricane Coast, and of course, being a Belle takes up most of my time. Bake sales, car washes, estate sales, turtle races."

"I can relate," Duncan says, "I overachieved in high school. Soccer, student council, editor of the school newspaper."

"Oh! I write too. I write AnnaBeth's Blog on the official Bluebell website."

"I'll have to check it out sometime," Duncan says.

"You're just saying that." She grins and touches him on the arm again.

"No! I really will," he protests.

They’re interrupted by the arrival of their food. Duncan eyes his plate dubiously. He hasn't had a burger and fries since…at least since before Lilly's death.

When he takes his first bite, juices drip down his chin, and he thinks he may have died and gone to heaven.

_ I don't remember food ever tasting this amazing. _

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Logan**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

The barbecue bacon burger is the best Logan’s ever tasted. If he were to ever decide to become a food critic - not likely - he'd send people here. He finishes off his margarita and wipe his mouth on a napkin. He'll have to switch to beer soon. 

  
Resting his chin on his palm, he leans forward, and angles his body towards the two blondes to his left. Any outside observer might believe him to be fascinated by their conversation, but to be honest, he could not be less interested. Betty seems nice enough, but Cricket makes Caitlin Ford look like a genius.

The blondes to his right are much more interesting. Veronica and Lemon have their heads together, whispering like two conspirators. He shudders to think what these two might be capable of were they to stay in Bluebell for more than just the one night. He’ll have to throw some extra money at Rusty tomorrow to ensure they make it out of this town as soon as possible.

"Hey! Golden Boy!" a voice calls from off to his left, and both Duncan and George turn around simultaneously.

_ Relax, DK. Nobody knows you here. Although it's probably obvious at a glance that you're a Golden Boy. _

The corners of Logan's lips curl up in a cruel smirk at the sight of the tall blond guy approaching with a slow swagger – obviously meant for effect. He carries a margarita pitcher in each hand, and most eyes turn to follow him as he passes, one woman dramatically fanning at herself.

_ We get it, dude. You've got game. _

He turns to give Veronica a _'_ _ get-a-load-of-this-guy' _ look, but her attention is already riveted. In fact, she’s nearly drooling.

_ Oh come on. The way you read people? You should know better. _

"I had a feeling we'd be needing refills by now," the man says, setting the pitchers down on the table. Lemon reaches for one immediately, refilling Veronica's glass and her own.

_ Is this number three for Veronica already? _

The Walking STD stops to say something to George that Logan isn't close enough to hear, and then turns his attention to the strangers.

Logan nearly groans. He sees it all in an instant. The guy's immediate interest in Veronica.  _ And why not? She's gorgeous and won't expect him to call her in the morning. _  The way he himself has been dismissed as a threat due to his feigned interest in the blondes to his left. The slight narrowing of the eyes as if the guy has decided on his night's mission.

"And who do we have here?" The hayseed flashes Veronica a mega-watt smile and reaches a hand across the table to shake. "Wade. Wade Kinsella."

_ Wide? _

While George Tucker's accent has a cultured tone, Wade's is a sharp twang that makes Logan's teeth grate.

_ Straight from the trailer park, huh? _

Veronica smiles back and shakes the offered hand. "Victoria Marshall. My brother, Declan." She gestures. "And my…cousin…Nolan."

**_ Cousin? _ **

"Hey," Wade gives a small wave, no more interested in shaking hands than Logan is.

Logan feels a small measure of satisfaction when he feels Veronica's hand reaching for his under the table, but it evaporates when she deposits his mom's engagement ring in his palm and folds his fingers around it.

_ Really? _

_** Really? ** _

Tucking the ring in his jeans pocket, he leans close to Veronica, keeping his eyes on Wade as he pushes back a strand of her hair, and whispers. "Game on… _ cousin _ _._ "

He smirks when she shivered. She always shivers when he whispers in her ear. It might have something to do with the way he purposefully breathes the words.

Wade, not sensing the tension - or perhaps just ignoring it - snags a chair from an adjacent table, placing it at the corner between Veronica and Logan, and straddling it.

_ Don't they teach you how to sit in a chair down in the holler? _

_ How am I supposed to get rid of this yahoo? _

"So darlin', where you from?" Wade asks. He leans forward, crossing his arms on the back of the chair and leaning on them with his chin.

_ Classic 'aren't-I-cute-and-harmless?' maneuver. She's not stupid. _

"Some place where strangers don't presume to call me darlin'," she answers, softening her words with a smile.

Wade's eyes lit up and he grins.

_ Of course, he takes that as a personal challenge. I would. _

_ Take your $5 drugstore cologne and your $10 haircut and get the hell away from my girlfr— _

Wade sneaks a French fry from Veronica's plate with an impudent grin.

_ Now you're in trouble buddy. Nobody comes between Veronica and her food. _

He waits for the consequences, but Veronica only laughs at his behavior.

_ What the hell, V? You're supposed to stab him in the hand with your fork. _

 

He doesn’t realize he’s following along in his head to the song on the jukebox until it turns off abruptly. At the front of the room, an amp squeals from being powered on.

Logan turns his head towards the noise as a woman steps up to the mic to introduce the band as  Hoodoo Circus .

In her late twenties, she stands about average height with broad shoulders and no discernible waist. Her light brown hair flows out from her head chaotically in thick springy curls to her shoulders. Technically, this woman will never be called beautiful - or even pretty - but there was a certain charisma about her. As if in her own mind, she’s actually the most beautiful woman in the room.

There’s something about her he recognizes, but can’t quite put his finger on.

_ Interesting. _

The singer's eyes fall upon Logan and hold. She raises an eyebrow in challenge.

_ Very interesting. _

Logan glances at Veronica, who is now ignoring Wade and studying the singer with narrowed eyes.

_ Game fucking on, cousin. _


	23. Day Seven - Rammer Jammer

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

For a person like Duncan Kane, the concept of instant infatuation is troubling. He'd waited two years to approach Veronica romantically, and had only been killing time with Shelly Pomroy (a fact that makes him uncomfortable). Hell, even his celebrity crushes were well thought-out – girls famous for their intelligence and charitable efforts as much as for their beauty.

AnnaBeth upsets his equilibrium. He can’t find anything wrong with her. In fact, were somebody to ask Duncan to design his ideal girl, she would meet – or exceed – all requirements.

Her friends? Not so much.

He'd been enjoying learning more about her when Cricket and Betty interrupted their conversation to insist she weigh-in on the urgent matter of declaring which retail establishment purveys the best Sunday hats.

Cricket insists  _ 'Buttons and Bows'  _ sells the most beautiful creations in a five-county area, while Betty derides their shoddy construction and recommends  _ 'Old Juniper Place', _ where hats are built to last for generations .  AnnaBeth, attempting to mediate, endorses 'Collettes' for a 'best of both' approach to both quality and style.

He excuses himself and joins Logan, who’s at the bar, shoving popcorn in his mouth and watching the band play a pretty good rendition of Bonnie Raitt's  _ 'I Can't Make You Love Me' –  _ a song that’s always made Duncan vaguely uneasy.

"You switched to beer?" Duncan asks, flicking his eyes to the brown glass bottle in Logan's hand. The mouthwatering aroma of broiling hamburgers is stronger over here, and he considers ordering a second one.

_ Not a smart idea. I'll probably pay for eating the first one. _

"Dude, it's like 90 degrees even with the AC on. Beer tastes colder going down." Logan catches the attention of Shelly the bartender, wiggles his bottle, and holds up two fingers. "So…I noticed you and Annabelle getting along pretty well. Think you're gonna hook up?"

"AnnaBeth," Duncan corrects. "…and she's not a one-night-stand kind of girl."

Shelly returns with two beers, and Logan hands one to Duncan before tossing some cash on the bar.

"That's what they all say." Logan clinks his beer bottle against Duncan's. "So why you wasting your time?"

"What? I like her."

"Dude, we can't stick around for you to  woo  her, or whatever it is you think you need to do. We're leaving in the morning."

Duncan ducks his head. "Don't you ever just want to get to  know  somebody? With no ulterior motive?"

"Why would I? I know you, and I know V. Why do I need to know anybody else?"

Duncan uses his index finger to connect the drops of condensation on his beer bottle. "Just because...I don't know...people are interesting?"

Logan has a smirk for every occasion. This one – eyes crinkled, lips curled only fractionally – typically means he’s indulgently amused. "So tell me about the amazing AnnaBeth."

"Why? So you can rip her apart?"

Logan lifts a single brow.

"Fine. She's special. Actually, she's everything I want in a girl – beauty, brains, personality. She's an over-achiever, like me, but she's also different. She's likes to have fun."

"Marry her," Logan deadpans. "Maybe she'll help you with that stick problem."

"What stick problem?"

Logan leans over and looks pointedly at Duncan's butt.

"Ha. Ha," Duncan says, dryly. "And quit checking out my ass."

"How can I, when you're displaying it so perfectly in those jeans?" Logan flutters his lashes.

"Shut up." Duncan groans.

Logan makes a dramatic 'shucks' arm gesture. "So you're crazy about this girl you met five minutes ago, and will never see again after tomorrow."

"Maybe we could come back someday…" he trails off, not knowing how to continue. "Or maybe..." He shrugs.

Logan peels at the label of his beer bottle with an expression of intense concentration, though whether he’s contemplating something or trying extra hard to remove the label in one piece (one of his odd superstitions) Duncan can't say.

Logan's voice sounds hoarse when he finally speaks. "Are you saying you want us to leave you behind?"

"No! I didn't—"

"Because..." Logan cuts him off. "You could be really happy here, ya know? You'd fit right in. With your nice girl, and your new best friend, George Tucker. The Norman Rockwell existence you've always dreamed of."

"I never said—"

Logan continues, now avoiding Duncan's eyes. "You'd be a natural with all of that community spirit stuff. But V and I? We don't belong here. We're not nice people."

"Sure you are."

"Really? How long do you think it would it take her to pull her taser on someone? Or for me to start a fight?"

"Or..." Duncan says, annoyed at this line of questioning. "...you could grow the hell up and stop acting like an asshole."

"Or...we bring Liam Fitzpatrick's wrath down upon these nice people."

Duncan turns away, chest tightening in shame.

"One of us could blend in here, but not all three of us," Logan says, quietly. "You could stay. You  _ should _ stay."

The painful lump in his throat and the tingling of his sinuses are warning signs he’s about to start crying like a little girl any second now.

_ Man up, Duncan. Never show weakness in front of Logan. _

He wrestles his voice into something resembling sarcasm. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were  _ trying _ to get rid of me."

Logan grips his wrist, his eyes flashing with intensity, voice lowered. "What I want is for you to be happy. The minute we drove into this town, I knew you belonged here."

Duncan can't argue. At first sight of the town square, with the white painted buildings and wholesome citizens, he'd felt as if he'd come home.

Logan continues. "D, you're my best friend. You think I  want  to leave you behind? There's nothing I want less, but I'd put my feelings aside for you to be safe and happy."

_ Do not let him see you cry. DO NOT let him see you cry. _

Duncan flashes him a weak smile. "I appreciate that, man."

Logan nods, and turns back to watch the band, currently playing Sheryl Crow's _'_ _ If It Makes You Happy' . _

"You're wrong about Veronica, by the way," Duncan says. "She's a very nice person. She'd fit in here just fine."

Logan throws his head back and laughs. "Sure. Good luck finding a time machine to take you back to 2002."

Duncan scowled at him. "When we were dating..."

Logan gives him an odd look and shakes his head in the negative. "She's not the same girl."

A shiver of déjà vu runs up Duncan's spine.  _ Where have I heard that before? _

He knows with a strange sense of certainty, that the next words out of Logan's mouth will be  _ 'This one is mine'. _

He’s wrong. Instead, Logan turns and beckons for Shelly to bring them two more beers.

 

They sit in silence for a few minutes, Logan watching the band, Duncan mesmerized by Logan's long fingers idly fondling the neck of his beer bottle.

_ And people said Lilly exuded sex. She worked hard to project that image. For Logan, it's as natural as breathing. _

Duncan sighs, refusing to follow that train of thought.  Moving on.  "So which blonde you planning to hook up with?"

"Who? Those two?" Logan points at Betty and Crickett. "Neither."

"You could've fooled me. You looked like you were working them back at the table."

"I was working them," Logan smirks. "Doesn't mean I'm trying to hook up."

"Why would you want to do that?"

Logan looks as if he’s about to explain, and then changes his mind. "Let's just call it an experiment."

"You're an ass, Logan." Duncan chuckles.

"Strangely enough, I've actually been told that before."

"So...what? You holding out for a better offer?" Duncan asks. "Maybe one of them over there?" He nods towards a group of minimally dressed girls – skimpy tank tops, short-shorts or micro-minis, cowboy boots. Several of them are eyeballing Logan.

"Nope, the Skank Squad is safe," Logan says. "I'm not looking to get laid tonight."

Duncan snickers in disbelief. "…Right...It's been over a week. I'm surprised you're not shaking uncontrollably and scratching at your arm."

"I take extra-long showers." Logan shrugs.

Duncan swallows hard. Concentrates on AnnaBeth's face across the room.

"But you, my friend, have a room to yourself. There's no reason why you can't score with AnnaBeth. Need some tips on closing the deal?"

Duncan shakes his head. "Eleven years of friendship, and you still don't get who I am."

"Oh, I know exactly who you are," Logan says, taking a long swig of beer before continuing. "And I think you'd be a lot more fun if you got laid every now and then."

"What? I should be a womanizer like you?"

"Nobody said you had to take it that far, but...I mean, you did bang Shelly Pomroy."

_ One of my more awkward life experiences. _

"She was kind of insistent."

_ And then I screwed up and called her Veronica. Thank god that never got out. _

Duncan takes another sip of his beer, glancing out over their table. Veronica is animatedly talking with Wade, who’s sitting excessively close. "Shouldn't we be worrying about that guy all over V?"

"No," Logan says, but the way he clenches his jaw says otherwise.

"Logan, just looking at that guy you can tell he's a man whore. Hell, he makes  _ you _  look monogamous."

That catches his attention. "I  _ am _  monogamous. At least when I'm in a relationship."

Duncan rolls his eyes. "Yeah…sure. Anyway, we have to warn her that he's bad news."

"Give her some credit. She's perfectly capable of telling the good guys from the bad guys."

"You sure about that? She forgave you for the past year."

Logan shoots him a glare. "Guess that means I'll have to hand in my Villain Association membership card."

"But what's up with the whole  _ cousin _  thing, anyway?" Duncan presses.

Logan's lets out a huff. "She wanted to have fun tonight without looking like she was attached."

"Why? I mean, why do you two even bother with the touchy-feely, holding-hands-in-public PDA stuff on the walk over, if you're just going to drop the act the minute we start talking to people?"

Something inside him tells him he does not want the answer to that question.

Logan takes leisurely chug of beer, wipes his mouth, and only then turns to Duncan, eyes intense and probing. "Come on D, you can't honestly believe that PDA stuff is only about maintaining the cover story."

The knot in Duncan's gut threatens to erupt like a volcano. His eyes become ice, and he has to white-knuckled his beer bottle in order to remain calm. "Are you saying you're fucking my ex?"

"No, I'm not fucking her!" Logan puts up his hands, face twisting into a sneer. "God, what the fuck is your problem?"

Duncan breathes out and forces his body to relax. "Then what did you mean?"

Logan lowers his voice again. "She was five seconds away from being raped. The 'touchy-feely' stuff as you call it, makes her feel safe."

Well if he'd wanted to feel like a heel, he'd come to the right place. "She acts as if there's nothing wrong."

"Yeah, on the surface," Logan's voice softens. "You have to know what to look for. Actually, I'm surprised she's gone so long without checking in with us." He nods his head to where Veronica is chatting with Wade.

Duncan still worries about Wade. "Just talk to her and make sure she's aware what that guy is after."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Duncan asks.

"Doesn't matter.  _ Wide _  is coming this way now."

"Good. Say something to him," Duncan says.

"What?" Logan's eyes widen in surprise. "No."

"Why not? When have you ever backed down from a confrontation?"

"When have you ever encouraged me to get into one?"

_ He has a point. _ "I wouldn't, but this guy could mess up Ver—"

"Victoria?" Logan cuts him off.

"Right."

"Well. Be my guest," Logan says,

"You're the one who likes fighting."

"I'll save my fighting for the Fitzpatricks. Just leave it be."

"What if he tries to use her?" Duncan persists.

Logan turns to face him lowering his voice and begins counting out points on his fingers. "Number one. Although I'm sure  _ Wide _ has his charm, Victoria's smart enough not to fall for his game. Number two. She's having fun flirting. After being an outcast for the past year, the attention has to feel pretty damn good."

"That's why I'm worried. After all that, she's susceptible to being played. Hell Troy would have played her if he'd had the opportunity."

Logan's jaw clenches again, and Duncan remembers how he'd never liked Troy.

"Number three," Logan says with an air of finality. "Victoria's not leaving with anybody else. She and I made a pact to leave together."

"Ahhh…" Now it makes sense. "So that's why you're not trying score? Doesn't that cramp your style or something?"

"What am I supposed to do? Leave her behind and let somebody take advantage of her while she's drunk? Again?"

Duncan feels as if all the air has been sucked from his lungs.

_ She told him about our night together? _ "What's that supposed to mean?" he asks, cautiously.

_ She thinks I took advantage? I was just as wasted as she was. _

_ And why is Logan looking so guilty? _

"Remember? Shelly's end of the year party?" Logan stares at his feet, aimlessly toeing at a stray piece of popcorn. When he glances back up, his eyes are haunted. "The body shots? Don't you remember pulling her away from me?"

Duncan exhales the breath he'd been holding. "Yeah. Vaguely. I don't really remember much from that night. I've never been so wasted in my life."

Logan lets out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I should probably tell you something—"

Whatever Logan had been about to say, he’s cut off by Wade's loud twang as he approaches from the left. "Shelly, we need two more pitchers of margaritas." He pauses for a second, and then breaks out in a huge grin. "Lavon freaking Hayes! How the hell are you man?"

The mountain-sized black man sitting to Logan's right turns around with an immense smile, sliding off the barstool, and pulling Wade into a bro-hug. "Wade Kinsella! Great to see ya, man."

"What're you doing here?"

"Eh...you know me. Lavon Hayes never misses a Bluebell Homecoming game," he says, in a voice that could sell lemon-lime soda in TV commercials.

_ Lavon Hayes also apparently refers to himself in the first person. _

Duncan glances at Logan with a raised eyebrow, but his BFF's head is tilted as if trying to figure something out.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

_ Lavon Hayes? _

At least 6'5, with the body structure of a semi-truck, the giant standing next to Logan makes him feel almost small in comparison. Lavon's crisp white button-down with faint gray pinstripes, is tucked into belted khakis, and an off-white straw panama hat dips low on his forehead. He stands with a sense of ease and confidence.

_ I'm positive I've heard that name before. _

At a loss, he decides to just ask. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

The man's eyes crinkle with warmth, and as he opens his mouth to answer, Veronica slides in between them, hip-checking Logan.

_ Right on schedule. _ Logan shoots Duncan an  _ I-told-you-so _  look.

"It's Lavon Hayes," she supplies. "NFL linebacker. Two Super Bowl wins, two Pro Bowls."

"Three Pro Bowls," Lavon corrects, in a deep Southern drawl.

"What?" she asks, catching Logan's smirk. "Baseball season only lasts so long, and my dad needs his testosterone TV." She reaches out a hand to shake. "Victoria Marshall. My brother Declan, and my cousin, Nolan." She indicates both of them in turn.

"Pleasure," Lavon says, turning to the boys, his handshake firm and confident. A light woodsy scent emanates from him, which Logan can't name, but recognizes as Casey Gant's cologne of choice.

Logan bumps Duncan aside in order to offer Veronica the high-backed wooden bar stool he'd been slouching against. Tilting it on one of its feet to turn it around, he braces her waist with his hands to help her up.

_ She's short. It's the gentlemanly thing to do. _

He snags another handful of popcorn from the large wooden bowl on the bar, and offers Veronica the first bite. She plucks some from his hand, but misses her mouth, dropping a few pieces on the floor.

Logan snickers and tosses the remaining buttery kernels in his own mouth.

"What happened to getting more drinks?" Veronica asks Wade.

Wade makes an 'oops' gesture, grabs one of the refilled margarita pitchers, and pours a glass for her.

_ Should I warn her to slow down on the alcohol? Would that even be fair in heat like this? _

_ I'll just have to keep a close eye on her. _

The band kicks in with an old Nina Simone song, conjuring an image of his mother all dressed up for a gala in a bronze evening gown and diamonds - still in denial that she'd been stood-up once again, although Aaron had been due home hours earlier.

The record had played on vinyl, while she'd swayed, eyes closed, a glass of regret on the rocks clutched in her hand. He'd wondered, as he slipped past the open doorway, who she was imagining as her dance partner.

_** " I put a spell on you. Cause you're mine." ** _

His eyes flicked over to Veronica, who’s watching him intently, an evil little grin playing on her lips. Hair lifts on the back of his neck, and for the first time since they've started this little cat and mouse game, he experiences a trickle of fear.

_ She will rip me apart just to see how I'm put together. _

He tilts his head in question, and she mirrors the gesture, amused.

_** "You better stop the things you do. I ain't lying." ** _

Veronica slowly crosses her legs, drawing his attention to her shapely calves and the strappy, silver heels that make her feet look nearly naked. Ten blood red toenails stand out in contrast. Hard to believe mere days - not months - have passed since he'd carefully painted them in bed.

When he glances back up, she wears a self-satisfied grin.

_ She's coming into her own. _

Veronica is no longer the ingénue oblivious to her own beauty, nor is she merely the badass in boots who doesn’t need anybody. She’s setting out bait and cataloging his reactions. Test driving her newfound ability to lead him around by the dick. It has to be the hottest thing he's ever seen.

_ She owns me and she knows it. _

_ Lilly would be so fucking proud. _

She'd performed magic with her appearance, using makeup to create the illusion of a rounder face and slightly tilted eyes. A lip pencil subtly alters the shape of her lips, and a pink gloss makes them appear fuller. Earlier, in the truck, he'd thought he'd caught a whiff of watermelon scent and intends to find out if the stuff was flavored as well. Soon. With the contact lenses, her eyes are nearly as brown as his own were, and the platinum wig spills long bouncy waves over her shoulders. She’s barely recognizable, but despite the changes, all Logan can see is Veronica. As if his brain auto-translates her image, substituting blue eyes and golden hair.

"How long have you three been in Bluebell?" Lavon asks. His kind eyes hide an underlying sharpness.

_ This guy is more observant than he appears. _

"Oh, only for the night," Veronica says pulling her eyes away from Logan. "Our car broke down, and won't be fixed until the morning. Heard about the band..." She gestures to where the saxophonist is performing a solo, "...and thought we'd check it out."

Logan prefers to check out the bare skin above her strapless dress. Humidity looks beautiful on her, making the skin over her collar bone, neck, cheekbones and cleavage gleam.

_ God, I wish we were back at the B&B. Alone. _

_ Doing what? Cuddling? Not like anything else would happen. _

_ But cuddling is kind of nice. _

His beer is behind her on the bar, and he places his hand on her shoulder while reaching for it. Her eyes lift and she searches his eyes for any hidden meaning.

Onstage the singer wails _ **"** ** I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Anyhow. ** _

_** I don't care if you don't want me. I'm yours right now. " ** _

Their gazes lock, and Logan's mouth goes dry. Her cheeks are flushed pink, and she seems to be frozen to the spot.

_** " I put a spell on you. Because you're mine." ** _

"How y'all liking our fair town, so far?" Lavon asks.

Veronica breaks away from Logan's gaze and takes a long gulp of her drink. "I'd like it a lot more, if it wasn't so damn hot," she says, snatching a flat drinks menu from the bar to fan herself with.

"Oh right. You've never seen a proper Southern Autumn, huh?" Lavon's smile takes over his entire face. "Well in that case, Lavon Hayes would like to welcome you to your first full-on Bluebell heat wave. Where 'hot and bothered' takes on a new meaning."

Veronica's eyes shoot up to Logan's before quickly looking away.

_ Good to know we're on the same page when it comes to hot and bothered, but if we keep this up, this tension, Duncan's going to start catching on. _

He turns to gauge Duncan's reaction, but his friend has already slipped away unnoticed, and is now back at the table deep in conversation with AnnaBeth.

_ Somebody's getting laid tonight. _

_ If he'd ever take a chance. _

Veronica shakes her head. "So even you, NFL player, a man of the world, believe in this heat wave fever thing?"

Lavon leans forward and lowers his voice as if to tell her something juicy. "All I can say is that people tend to go a little crazy around here this time of year."

Veronica tilts her head. "You're telling me a bad thing. But your manner indicates it's a good thing. Which is it?"

"Both."

"Heat wave's like a free pass to do whatever you want. What's not to like?" Wade says, his leer making it painfully clear what he wants Veronica to want.

Logan visualizes his fist connecting with Wade's nose, but that would only make him look jealous and lose the bet.

"Get ready to see half naked people doing full on crazy things. The fever hits everyone eventually." Lavon raises one eyebrow and waggles his finger back and forth between Logan and Veronica.

Wade's face screws up in distaste. "Dude. They're cousins."

"Uh Huhhhh." Lavon drags out the second syllable with a smirk on his lips and a teasing glint in his eyes.

Veronica's eyes fly up to Logan's again, and he answers her with his own eyes.  _ No, I have no idea if he recognizes us. _

_ But I'm pretty sure he's guessed how I feel. _

She turns back to Lavon with an air of confidence and self-assurance. "Well,  I  for one, will not be participating in heat wave fever. My  _ cousin _  can do whatever he chooses."

"Mmm hmm." Lavon gives a little nod, his eyes indicating that he knows better. "You'll see. Weather this  _ hot _ , you can not fight your inhibitions, girl."

_ Enough with the lowered inhibitions talk, because if anybody can fight their inhibitions, it's Veronica. _

_ Unfortunately. _

Logan changes the subject. "So...you live here in the off season?"

"Yeah, I bought a house over on Dolly Lane when I first got drafted into the NFL. My parents live in the place now, but eventually, I have my eyes on the Mayor's Plantation."

Wade's eyes widen in surprise. "You're planning to go into politics?"

Lavon gestures towards his body. "This work of art can't hold up forever. Everybody needs a backup plan."

"Well that's just...fantastic!" Wade says. "I can already think of a few laws I want you to pass, starting with-"

Lavon holds up a hand to stop him. "How about we leave city policy until I'm actually in office?"

"Fine man," Wade says, "But something needs to be done about those Belles and the way they think they can do any damn thing they please around here."

Lavon laughs. "I'll take that under advisement."

Veronica is staring at Lavon with something like awe on her face.

"What?" Lavon laughs nervously.

"I was just wondering…" Veronica starts. "How much I would have to pay you to convince you to read my favorite books into a recorder."

At his confused expression, she clarifies. "Your voice is magnificent. Like liquid velvet."

Lavon throws back his head and laughs heartily. "You," he points at her, "Ms. Marshall, are a charmer."

"Likewise."

"Well there you are, Victoria!" Lemon calls, squeezing through the crowd to join them. She smells clean and citrusy, which Logan finds amusing.

"Good evening, Miss Breeland," Lavon's demeanor changes from confident to bashful almost instantly.

_ Aww...Somebody has a crush! _

"Why Lavon Hayes! What a delight!" Lemon drawls. "I would positively love to stay and chat with you, but I promised the girls I'd be right back with the margaritas." She reaches for the two pitchers on the bar. "Looks like this one is half empty already," she says, looking pointedly at Wade. "Stop by the table to say hello to George, Lavon," she says turning to leave. "He'd be so happy to see you. Coming Victoria?"

"Sure," Veronica says, sliding off the stool and glancing once at Logan before moving away.

Lavon's eyes follow Lemon back to the table.

_ Lavon and Lemon sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S...how old am I, three? _

Wade, on the other hand, does not. "See what I mean about those Belles?" he says, throwing up his hands dramatically. "They are menaces to society, and Lemon Breeland is the worst of the bunch."

"Huh?" Lavon snaps out of his daze.

_ " Wide _ do this.  _ Wide _ do that.  _ Wide _ get us more drinks.  Wide  don't you even think about putting your filthy paws on my pristine cousin."

"Or mine," Logan says, holding up an index finger.

Lavon's lips twitch in amusement, and Wade glances up as if he'd forgotten Logan was still standing there.

"What was that, Justin Timberlake?" He gestures to Shelly for another pitcher of drinks.

Logan turns to face him with a pleasant expression on his face. "Well, Jethro Bodine, I was simply agreeing with Lemon's sentiment. You know, filthy paws? Pristine cousin?"

"How about you let Vicky decide for herself.  She  seems to like me just fine."

"I would, but then we'd have to go to through the ordeal of having Victoria flea dipped," he shakes his head sadly. "The bugs should come off, but STD's lasts forever. I'm afraid we just can't afford to get that far off-schedule."

"Haven't you ever heard of multi-tasking?" Wade casts a judgmental glance over Logan's appearance. "Just drop her off for her cleaning while you're getting your spray tan and chest waxing."

Logan feels that trickle of adrenaline he always experiences before going into battle. "Chest waxing? I kind of took you for a  ' _ rip-off-the-duct-tape' _  kind of guy. You know, earlier, when you whipped off your shirt in the middle of an eating establishment."

"Checking me out, pretty boy?"

"More like judging you." He points at a sign behind the bar. "If you concentrate really hard, you can sound out the words. But I'm a nice guy, so I'll help just this once. No shirt. No shoes. No service." He finishes with a flourish of his hands.

"I don't know why you're in such a hurry anyway," Wade says. "I'm sure Lance and the rest of the Backstreet Boys will wait around for you."

_ Dumbass. Lance is in N' Synch. Not that I'd ever admit to that knowledge. _

"Is this something you have a complex about?" Logan asks. "Tried out for a boy band and get rejected or something?"

"Yeah, they said I was too manly. I heard you took my spot."

"Dude. That's called breaking it gently. It wasn't your manliness, it was your cleanliness."

"What are you so afraid of man? That I'll take your cousin outside and do her in my truck?"

"No. I get it. You're a real Southern gentleman, right?"

"Damn right, I am."

"So you'd take her back to your trailer, and at least cook her some fried possum, before showing her your waterbed. Black sateen sheets, I'm guessing?"

"Blue, actually."

"Just remember, you have to kick the sheep out of bed  _ before _ you take Victoria to your room."

Lavon grunts and turns to Wade for a reaction.

"Real funny," Wade says.

"And your sister," Logan adds, helpfully.

"Ya know, of the two of us,  _ you're _ the one unnaturally interested in his cousin's sex life." Wade shakes his head, snatches the fresh margarita pitchers, and storms away in a huff.

Logan turned to Lavon. "Sheesh. What a drama queen!"

Lavon's answering laugh and head shake is neither a confirmation nor a denial. He’s about to speak, when something catches his eye and he smiles widely. "Excuse me," he says. "That's my old coach, and I need to go say hello."

_ Alone again. _

Logan hops onto Veronica's abandoned barstool, leaning against the bar.

On the other side of the room, Wade is nearly glued to Veronica's side as she waits with Lemon outside of the restroom.

_ I'm never going to win this jealousy bet if I don't start competing. _

Nearby, the large party of girls Duncan pointed out earlier is emitting that _'_ _ looking-for-trouble _ _'_ beacon often seen at bachelorette parties.

_ Must be the heat wave thing. _

Three of the girls are staring at him and whispering. Most likely trying to decide who will approach him. He raises his beer in a salute, and they giggle.

He blows the air out of his cheeks. He isn't sure when or how it had happened, but vapid giggling girls just don't do it for him anymore. Swallowing the last of his beer, he turns around to order another, running straight into a face-full of cucumber-scented hair.

"Shit. Didn't see you there," he says, spitting out a mouthful of the singer's curls. "Excellent choice, by the way."

Up close, he finds her more attractive than she'd appeared on stage, but can't put a finger on it. Her face would be considered plain by most, but his dick twitches and he shivers in excitement when his eyes connect with her green cat's eyes. She possesses an untamed, feral quality that intrigues him. Her demeanor is a contradiction of  'I'm-too-good-for-this-place'  and  'I'd-rather-be-getting-down-and-dirty'.  She doesn’t possess an hourglass figure, but her ample rack makes up for it. She smells of seduction - oriental spices, amber, and vanilla.

"Choice of what?" she asks. On stage, the guitarist has taken over vocals and was belting out  'Sweet Home Alabama' .  _ Probably required for every performance. _

"Shampoo," Logan answers. "François Lefevre, I believe? Your hair is much softer than it looks, by the way. Doesn't taste too great, though."

"What did you expect, wire bedsprings?"

Logan shrugs. "Maybe."

"That line can't possibly work for you." She arches an eyebrow.

Logan smirks. "Strangely enough, almost everything does."

Her eyes travel the length of his body with an appreciative glint. "Actually, not too hard to believe." He has to adjust his pants when she turns away and waves the bartender over. "Gin and tonic, please."

Logan puts up a hand. "Make that two. I'm buying." When Shelly reaches for a bottle, he stops her, pointing at the top shelf. "Make it the good stuff."

"No comments about gin being a man's drink?" the singer challenges. Her voice is husky, which Logan finds almost as sexy as her eyes.

"I happen to like girls who are secure in their masculinity," he says with a wink, and surreptitiously scans the room for Veronica. She’s back at the table twirling her hair at Wade.

_ Ha! Busted! Veronica Mars would never ever twirl her hair at a guy unless she was playing 'Amber' or one of her other alter-egos. She's SO faking it. _

He can't help but grin.

"Your drinks," Shelly says, and Logan tosses some money on the bar, turning back to the singer.

"You know, you're not old enough to be drinking that…" she leans close and whispers in his ear. "...Logan."

Logan pulls away, eyes wide. "I have to go." He moves to slide of the stool, but she holds him back with a hand pressed to his thigh.

"Relax. I'm not going to say anything. I'm Chessie, by the way. Like the train."

"Nolan," Logan answers, taking note of possible exits. "I need to get the others and get out of here. Now."

She presses on his thigh more firmly, leaning in to whisper. "Nobody is going to recognize you."

"You did."

"I did," she says, "But it just so happens my wicked step-mother has a shrine to your daddy." She shudders. "Can't visit my dad without tripping over trashy tabloids featuring your family."

"You're right."

"About what?"

"She is wicked. Why my dad of all people?"

"Don't ask me," Chessie shrugs. "You're clearly the superior Echolls."

"Ahh…flattery will get you…wait, where do you want to it to get you?"

With a suggestive glint, she flicks her eyes down at his jeans. "Everywhere?" She smirks, raising a single eyebrow.

Logan swallows. "Yeah, I think that was the term I was looking for."

"So what's up with the shampoo?" Chessie asks. "You wander the salons memorizing the aromatic properties of styling products? Or are you secretly aspiring to become a stylist?"

Logan laughs. "Well, I can't say it's an uncommon occurrence for girls to get their hair in my mouth, but I recognized the scent. One of the exes used that stuff occasionally. She had it in her shower."

"Did you sneak in and use some of it?"

"Only on her."

His gut churns in sadness.

_ None of that. This is not the time or place. _

"Lilly Kane?"

He starts, shocked to hear Lilly's name from a stranger's mouth.

_ Wicked stepmother. Tabloid junkie. Actor's son. Dead girl's boyfriend. _

He shrugs his shoulders.

_ The one and only. _

He takes a sip of his beer, and when he turns back to Chessie, he almost chokes on it.

_ Like seeing a ghost. _

_ The green eyes. The swagger. The aura of danger. That's why she seems so familiar. _

_ This one's from Lilly's tribe. An elder, maybe. _

_ ' Sweet Home Alabama _ _'_ is ending and Chessie squeezes Logan's thigh before sliding off her stool.

"So hey, I have to get back up on stage. Stick around. I'll get a longer break in about an hour."

"I'll be here. Probably."

He watches his ex-girlfriend walk away in someone else's body.

_ Lilly's eyes. Lilly's shampoo. Lilly's walk. But does she fuck like Lilly? _

If he had to guess, he'd say even better.

_ I should just get V and get the fuck out of here, before I do something I'll regret. _

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

_ Wade Kinsella is a player. _

Even in her tipsy state, Veronica would have to blind to miss that tidbit. From his lazy smile to his practiced swagger, this is a man used to getting women into bed with little to no effort. Despite that, she finds him endearing and charming, as he entertains her with stories of his high school exploits - protesting loudly, when George butts in to call him on his penchant for exaggeration.

He reminds her of Logan in many ways. Both could be described as 'chick magnets'. Both are bad boys. Both have a flair for the dramatic. Wade seems to lack Logan's emotional depth, however, and possesses a playfulness she hasn't witnessed in Logan since even before Lilly's death.

_ I miss that side of him. _

Wade chatters on, tapping out a three-count beat to  ' _ Sweet Home Alabama' _  as Veronica's gaze sweeps the room.

At the far end of the table, Duncan is deep in conversation with AnnaBeth, his eyes brighter and more animated than they've been since their breakup a year ago.

_ I should be bothered by the fact that he seems really into this girl. Yet...I'm not. _

She acknowledges to herself that her ability to genuinely wish happiness for Duncan with other girls means she’s officially over him. Unfortunately, they’ll be leaving first thing in the morning, and he'll never get to see AnnaBeth again.

_ Never say never. Maybe once everything dies down? _

Logan, still at the bar, is chatting with the band's brunette singer. The woman leans close to whispers something in his ear, and...

"Did she just put her hand on his thigh?" Veronica hadn't meant to speak so sharply.

Wade follows the direction of her stare. "Yep, looks like it."

"She's wasting her time. She's not his type at all. The complete opposite, in fact."

"I'd say," Wade says with a snicker.

Her head whips around. Had Wade figured out about her and Logan?

_ What about me and Logan? There  ** is **  no me and Logan. _

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asks.

"She has boobs." He makes a gesture at his chest as if hitching up a set of double-D's.

Veronica takes a sip of her frozen lime margarita, running her thumb over the smooth glass.  _ Is that some kind of slam against me? _

"What?" Wade asks, taking in her confusion. "You didn't realize your cousin was gay?"

"Gay?" She nearly spits out her drink.  _ Funny, he doesn't kiss like he's gay. _ "He's not gay."

"You sure about that?"

She nods. "Positive. What makes you think he's gay?"

"Have you seen his hair? He took off his hat for a second, and...Let's just say I'm just surprised he didn't have frosted tips or something."

_ You don't get many Californians around here, do you? _

"Frosted tips?" Veronica's nose crinkles in distaste. "That's like so four days ago !" 

_ Literally. _

"Plus, you ever notice his hands?" Wade holds up his own and wiggles them in a very Logan-like gesture. "You can't trust a guy with soft hands - all manicured and stuff, with no callouses. It's like he's never done a day of work in his life."

Veronica laughs aloud at his accidental insight. Logan and hard labor? Not a chance.

But his hands...She'd felt his hands. On her skin. On her neck. On her hands. Her feet. Her back. "He has callouses," she says. "A few."

"Oh yeah? From what, the hairspray trigger?"

She smirks. "PlayStation controller."

Wade opens his mouth as if to protest the legitimacy of PlayStation induced callouses, (while surreptitiously examining his own fingers), and then closes it, apparently having disproven his intended argument.

"He's not gay," Veronica repeats, glancing back at Logan. His eyes are fixated on the brunette, who is sliding off her stool. Squeezing his thigh with her hand.

Something ugly takes shape inside Veronica, and she has to bite her tongue to silence the low growl at the back of her throat.

_ She's not his type at all. _

_ So why is he watching her walk away like that? _

No sooner does the singer return to the mic, than three more girls close in on Logan.

_ These ones are much more his type. _

Her attention is diverted by the bartender's arrival with another pitcher of drinks. "Wade, I need your help in the back for a few minutes." She scowls at the collection of empty pitchers on the table and gathers three of them, nodding for Wade to collect the rest.

"You do realize this is my night off?" He rises from his chair with a put-upon sigh. "I'll be back," he tells Veronica before sauntering off.

"How's the bet going?" Lemon asks as she refills Veronica's nearly empty glass with the icy green concoction.

_ How many has it been already? _

Veronica shrugs - hopefully not too petulantly - and nods towards the bar.

Lemon's cringe indicates the news isn't good.

"What?"

"Kelsey Kellog. I'm not a fan."

"What's so bad about Kelsey?"

"Oh, she was just horrid in high school. One of those mean girls who weren't happy unless they were bringing everybody else down."

_ Ahh…Bluebell's version of Madison Sinclair. _

"I showed her, though," Lemon says. "To this day, she'll take the long way around to avoid running into me."

_ So how about you go chat with Logan and run her off? _ "What did you do?"

She lowers her voice conspiratorially. "Let's just say that in high school, revenge was kind of my thing." She glances over at George with a soft smile on her face. "We had some great times back then."

Lemon fills Veronica in on some of the best pranks she, George and Wade had pulled off against Kelsey Kellogg and other deserving members of the Cyrus Lavinius Jeremiah Jones High School student body. "The key to revenge is specificity," she says in a low voice. "You have to understand the psyche of the person you're dealing with."

Veronica shudders. "You sound like...Nolan. He had similar tactics, although he only used them against me."

"Against you?" Lemon sounds appalled.

"Oh yeah," Veronica glances up at Logan again. "We had quite the feud going. We've gotten over it, though."

_ I'm pretty sure. _

"Then it must be true what they say about love and hate," Lemon says in her musical voice, "Because you're obviously madly in love with him now."

"I am?"

"Well of course you are, silly. He's your fiancé. And the way you look at him…well anybody with eyes could see. Except for Wade. He's kind of oblivious sometimes."

Veronica feels her cheeks flushing.

_ She's crazy, but it's not as if I can just say: 'You're wrong. I'm not in love with the guy who's supposed to be my fiancé.' _

"Yeah, he's my little…"  _ What? Logie Bear? Gag! Sweetie? Stud Muffin? Double Gag! _ "…Jackass," Veronica answers in an affectionate tone.

The band launches into K.T. Tunstall's  ' _ Black Horse and a Cherry Tree' _ .

_** ' Well my heart knows me better than I know myself so I'm gonna let it do all the talking.' ** _

_ Yeah…right. If I let  my  heart do the talking, I'd probably end up pressed up against another building with Logan's mouth… _

She shivers and changes the subject. "So what's next on your revenging hit list? Anything good?"

Lemon's demeanor shifts as if she'd aged ten years overnight. "No," she says, shaking her head. "That's the old me. I can't afford to be reckless anymore. I have to take care of my daddy and my sister, Magnolia. She's seven."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Did your mom…?"

"No. She's alive. "Lemon's chin lifts in a show of false bravado. "She…uh…just decided to pursue other opportunities."

Veronica's gut clenches in sympathy. "I've been there," she says quietly, covering Lemon's hand in her own. "My mom took off in the middle of the night, and I haven't seen her since."

_ What's up with the over-sharing, Veronica? Could it be the magical green liquid? _

Lemon glances at Veronica with the understanding of a kindred spirit. Then her eyes narrow. "But your brother over there was just telling us that your mom was an Assistant DA in Seattle."

_ Fucking Duncan! _

"No, um...we actually have two different moms. We share a father. His mom is the lawyer. Mine is just a…"  _ Lush? Adulterer? Abandoner? _ "Unemployed."

"Oh…" Lemon's eyes soften. "I thought he'd said 'our mother', but maybe I misheard..." She trails off as something catches her eye and she stiffens. "Uh oh, don't look now."

"What?" George asks, alerted by her tone of voice.

In lieu of an answer, Lemon nods her head at five guys entering the bar.

"Oh hell," George says, rubbing at his forehead.

"What?" Veronica asks.

"Todd Gainey, Jr.," Lemon says, pointing at the bowlegged man in the middle with trouble written across his face. Of average height, he has brown shoulder-length hair, a mustache and a thick beard. "He's from our neighboring town of Fillmore – our arch-rivals both on and off the field. His daddy's the mayor there."

Veronica recalls from the Homecoming signs on the wall, that Fillmore is also their opponent in this weekend's big game.

"And he's Wade's arch-rival," George supplies.

"There's bad blood going all the way back to their childhood," Lemon says.

"Why?"

"The Gainey brothers used to make fun of Crazy Earl," George answers.

"Crazy Earl?"

George points to the solitary old man with wild hair on the dance floor dancing 'The Macarena' to The Rolling Stones'  ' _ Paint It Black' _ . "Wade's father."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Lemon says. "I hope things don't get ugly."

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

Kelsey Kellog smells as if she'd bathed in cheap perfume before leaving the bordello. Heavy, cloying _'_ _ please-fuck-me-I'm-desperate' _  cologne he would retreat from - if he wasn't already backed against the bar.

She stands in front of him - all 5'3 of tan, bleached blonde 'head-bitch-in-charge' attitude - demanding his attention. Flanking her is Amanda, much prettier, with honey colored hair, large blue eyes, and the intellect of a bag of Skittles. On her right, Ingrid, the stereotypical jealous 'first runner-up', puts up a valiant effort to hijack the conversation.

_ The conversation I'm not actually listening to. _

Logan shifts, stretching out his long legs and leaning enough to the left to have Veronica and Wade in his sightline again. Now that he's cracked her code – head tilts, hair twirls, breathless girly voice - it’s obvious she’s only pretending to be interested in Wade. She’s working him, just like she'd worked Danny Boyd. Just like any other mark.

_ Funny. She always acts like herself when she's pretending to be my fiancée. _

Shelly, the bartender carries a pitcher of frozen margarita over to Veronica's table. Wade stands and followed her to the back room.

If he can so easily see through Veronica's charade with Wade, she surely won't buy his interest in Ms. Badly-in-need-of-a-root-job.

Kelsey is still babbling in a voice that marries 'twang' with 'monotone'. "…So for the talent competition, I did an a' cappella version of  ' _ Wind Beneath My Wings' _  and brought the house down. I would have won if Dixie Vermillion hadn't cheated, but—"

_ I need to get rid of these girls! _

He interrupts her. "So Kelly…"

"Kelsey."

"Kelsey. Sorry. So Kelsey, you said you're studying to be a nurse?"

"That's right." She grins. "Just like my mama, and my Auntie Ruby."

"Good," Logan nods. "Maybe you can help me out."

"I'd sure be happy to try." She thrusts her boobs out in an anything-but-subtle gesture.

He grins down at the floor, composing his face before glancing back up. "See…I've developed this itchy rash on my junk, and…"

It’s almost comical the way her eyes widen. "Oh look!" she says. "Nellie's calling us over. Nice talking to you Nolan."

He laughs as they hurry away.

Logan orders another ice-cold beer, leaning back against the bar to watch Chessie on stage, singing Allanah Myles'  _ 'Black Velvet' _ . Already fascinated by her sex appeal, the sultry song isn't helping his resolve any.

_ That girl is bad news in the best possible way. _

Back at the table, Veronica appears to be listening intently, while Lemon tells her a story, George occasionally contributing to the conversation. The other two Belles talk among themselves, while Duncan and AnnaBeth might as well be on another planet, as much attention as they’re paying the others.

_ He's going to be heartbroken when he has to say goodbye to her. _

_ Or he'll break my heart and stay behind.  _

_ Be prepared, Logan. _

Wade returns from the back room, passing Logan's perch at the bar, and a pretty girl steps up and blocks his path. "Hi,  Wide ," she drawls. She stands around 5'6, with golden blonde hair worn in pigtails at the nape of her neck.  _ Veronica style – only longer . _

"Oh...hey…Tansy," Wade says, looking uncomfortable.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd be here tonight, baby?" the girl asks, playfully swatting his arm. "We could've come together."

Logan snickers.  _ Uh oh. Somebody's in the dog house. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. _

"Oh…well…" Wade's eyes sweep the room, searching for some form of escape. "Night out with George Tucker."

"Well, I like George Tucker just fine."

"Yeah, but you know…Lemon…And those Belles." He shudders as if the girls were monsters, rather than debutantes.

"Oh…Belles." Tansy says screwing up her nose, as if that’s a reasonable enough explanation.

"Yeah…well I'd better get back over there. Told them I'd only be a few minutes."

Tansy's face falls. "Oh, well I guess I'll see you later."

Wade touches her arm and begins inching around her. "Hey, if I don't find you later, I'll call you this weekend, kay?"

"Okay. Don't forget this time. You were supposed to call me last night."

"Meant to, but my phone battery was dead." Wade shrugs in a  'whadya-gonna-do?'  gesture.

"Oh…okay," Tansy says, eyes downcast.

Patting her on the shoulder one more time, Wade walks away.

Tansy, looking miserable, takes the stool at the bar next to Logan.

_ Now  this  girl, Veronica would be jealous of. Blonde, beautiful, stacked, smokin' body. _

If Chessie is too much temptation, and Kelsey, not temptation enough, then Tansy is just right.

"You realize he was lying out his ass, right?" Logan asks.

Tansy turns to him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

_ " Wide. _  His battery wasn't dead, he's not going to 'catch up with you later', and he probably won't call this weekend."

Tansy's eyes narrow. "Well screw you, too. That's my boyfriend."

"He's not your boyfriend."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She pushes back from the bar as if to leave.

_ Fuck. I'm such an ass. _

_ But, when has that ever stopped me? _

"Wait," Logan puts a hand on her arm. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings and I'm not even trying to pick you up. Stay, and let me buy you a drink."

She eyes him suspiciously. "Why would you want to buy me a drink if you're not trying pick me up?"

"Just to talk. I'm Nolan, by the way, and I'm leaving town as soon as my car is fixed tomorrow, so obviously, I have no ulterior motive."

She looks skeptical, but then sits back down in her stool. "Tansy. Tansy Truitt."

"What are you drinking, Tansy?"

She examines the beer in his hand. "I'll have what you're drinking."

Logan waves to the bartender for another beer.

"So…what did you want to talk about?"

"Look…You're a beautiful girl. Stunning, actually. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Tansy smiles at the compliment. "Why, thank you."

"But you're way too available."

The smile drops. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"When you were talking to Wade just now, you came across as desperate."

Tansy sighs. "I can't help it. I'm crazy about him. I want to marry him someday."

_ Why? So you can drive a rusty pickup and live on Spam for the rest of your life? _

_ At least until he cheats on you. _

Logan shakes his head sadly. "Let me take a wild guess. He shows up at your door whenever he likes, never takes you out on a real date, pretends he doesn't know you in public?"

Tansy's eyes drop to the bar in embarrassment. "How'd you know?"

"A guess. And you let him get away with it. You're always available. Let him in every time he comes a' knocking?"

"So you think it's hopeless?" Tansy asks, large blue eyes, dejected.

"No, I do think you deserve better, but it's not hopeless. Not at all. Well, maybe right now it is, but you can change that."

"How?" she leans forward in interest.

_ And…she takes the bait. _

It’s still stifling hot, so Logan pauses before speaking taking a long sip of beer.  _ A few more seconds to keep her dangling. _

"You need to blow him off. Stop being available."

Tansy scowls. "And how exactly is that supposed to help? I want to spend  _ more _ time with him, not less."

"Because guys are assholes, myself included. We always want what we can't have.  _ Wide _ undervalues you, because you're always available. You need to cut off his easy supply," He makes a vague gesture towards her body. "While proving to him that there's a heavy demand." He points at himself.

Tansy tilts her head, seemingly making mental calculations. "So, is that like or math or something?"

Logan smiles. "Or something. So start sending him home when he knocks on the door. And pretend you're interested in somebody else."

"Like who?"

"Well…you could use me. At least for tonight," he says, as if making a great sacrifice.

_ I am such a bastard... _

Tansy's eyes narrow in suspicion. "You're trying to scam me,"

Logan puts up a hand. "No. I'm really not. I just hate seeing pretty girls like you treated that way. He's over at that table right now trying to pull the same crap with my cousin, Victoria."

Tansy turns around to look.

"Hey!" Logan says sharply, snapping his fingers, to recapture her attention. "Don't look over there again. You no longer care what he's doing."

"I don't?"

"You don't. You're a strong, capable woman who will no longer be treated like an afterthought."

"Yeah…" Her smile expands into a big toothy grin. "I am."

"Excellent, now turn to face me," Logan instructs, shifting sideways on his stool.

"Why?"

"Because I'm about to give you some lessons, and you'll want to mirror my body language."

"Okay…?" Tansy pivots on her seat until her knees face Logan.

_ If she were really into me, she'd be even closer. _

He remedies the problem, by spreading his legs wide, and dragging her stool nearer with his foot so that his knees are on the outside of hers.

Tansy seems uncomfortable with the seating arrangement - maybe because her short, denim - Veronica style  - skirt leaves little to the imagination.

"Relax," he says quietly. "While your legs are spectacular, I'm still not looking to hook up. This is just for show."

Tansy lets out a relieved breath. "Okay…" then her eyes narrow. "But why not?"

"Why not what?"

"Why aren't you trying to pick me up? Is there something wrong with me?"

"There wasn't until you asked that question," he answers. "That was desperation again. Listen, I've hooked up with Laker Girls. I'm not as blinded by a pretty face and great body as most guys are."

_ But attitude and mad sex appeal are a different story. _

"So you have a girlfriend."

He hesitates, managing not to look at Veronica. "No girlfriend. There's a girl I...care about, but it's complicated."

"So I shouldn't take it personally," she says, as if reassuring herself. "What now?"

"Okay, let's start with the basics." Elbow on the bar, he props his chin on his palm. "Mirror my posture, and gaze into my eyes."

She does as she’s told, but not without complaint. "It feels silly to gaze at you. I don't even like you so far."

_ And here I was planning to name my first-born child after you. _

"That's okay, Wade's too far away to tell you're faking it. Now you'll need to touch yourself."

Tansy gasps in outrage, and he bursts out laughing.

"Not like that," he says, stopping her from leaving. "Gosh, get your mind out of the gutter."

"So how exactly did you mean it, pervert?" she demands, belligerently.

_ Yeah, I totally set her up there. _

"You'll want to touch yourself in places you want to draw my attention to."

"Explain."

"Touching your mouth will draw my attention there and make me think about kissing. Same with your throat. Stroke your upper arm to make me think about touching you."

"But I  _ don't want _  you to kiss me or touch me."

"This is still a lesson, remember?"

"Fine." Tansy sticks the tip of her finger in her mouth, in a gesture that’s probably supposed to look sexy, but has the complete opposite effect.

Logan laughs so loud, he slaps his knee.

"I'm so glad I can be a source of amusement to you," Tansy grumbles.

Logan snickers. "Wait, that wasn't a joke?"

Tansy glares.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to pick on you," he says. "How about this? Put your hand on my arm and pretend I said something funny."

Tansy follows his instructions, and he groans.

"No, no, no," he sighs. "That was the most manic looking laugh I've ever seen. I was almost afraid of you there."

"So then what should I do?"

"Lower your lashes at me and run your fingers up and down my arm."

Tansy does as he’s told her.

"Oh dear God no," Logan chuckles. "That had all the subtlety of a charging rhino."

She’s starting to get angry. "What the hell do you want from me? I did what you said."

"Pretend I'm Wade."

"You're nothing like Wade."

_ Thank God for small miracles. _

Logan sighs. "Tansy, this shouldn't be that hard. Just look up at me and try to see him. Touch my arm like you would touch his."

Tansy stares at him for a minute, and then her eyes soften. She puts out a hand, and tries again to run her fingers down his arm.

"A little better," Logan says. "Now pretend Wade is telling you a joke."

"But you don't..."

Logan breathes in and counts backwards from five in his head. "Listen, if you don't want to make Wade jealous, that's fine. We can drop the whole act."

"Oh…" Tansy says, in sudden comprehension. "We're trying to make Wade jealous? Why didn't you just say so?"

Logan mentally replays their conversation in his head, before finally just shaking his head in disbelief.

"For the record, just so there's no confusion, we  are  trying to make  _ Wide _  jealous."

"Okay," Tansy says, enthusiastically, and proceeds to become an entirely different person. Her laughs becomes more genuine, her arm touches more seductive.

"You're doing great," Logan says.

"I really am?"

"You are. Don't look, but  _ Wide's _  watching right now."

In fact, Wade is telling a story to Veronica with wild arm gestures, but Tansy doesn’t need to know that.

"Whisper something slutty in my ear," Logan says.

Tansy leans close, touches his face and whispers, "Something slutty" in his ear. He lets out a loud genuine laugh.

_ Wade might not be watching, but Veronica sure as hell is. _

  



	24. Day Seven - Heat Wave

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

According to Lemon, Wade's feud with Todd Gainey Jr. has mostly been a war of words, although on more than one occasion, things have escalated to punches.

Veronica listens with half her attention, the remainder occupied by Logan, their overall predicament, Logan, the melting heat, and Logan.

Parched, she downs the rest of her drink – more melted than frozen now – and sets down the glass with a loud clunk.

"Oops," she giggles when Lemon pauses in her speech. "My bad."

_Need to work on the hand-eye coordination thing._

_Logan has nice hands._

_And pretty eyes._

_And coordination. That's always a good thing._

Lemon laughs. "You might want to slow down on those drinks," she suggests, even as she refills Veronica's glass with more delicious lime margarita.

Veronica attempts to arrange her face into some semblance of contrition.

"So anyway…" Lemon continues, "We need to try to keep Wade from noticing him. Normally, I wouldn't worry, but being that it's the heat wave…"

"Quiet! He's coming back," George says, and Lemon instantly silences.

"Why the long faces?" Wade asks, spinning the chair between the two girls and straddling it. "Something wrong?" Of course, he happens to choose the seat that puts Todd Gainey Jr. and his gang right in his sightline – were he only to look that far.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lemon answers, a little too vehemently. "Why would anything be wrong? It's Homecoming weekend."

"That's what I'm sayin', baby!" he says, giving high fives all around. "So what’re y'all talking about?"

"I was just telling Victoria how Delia Anne's  _'Margaret Mitchell'_  won the Annual Bluebell Turtle Race for the fifth year in a row." Lemon says, adding as an aside, "…although rumors say it's not even the original turtle."

"Hundred bucks, and I could get to the bottom of that," Veronica offers.

"Bottom of what?"

"Exposing the imposter racing turtle," Veronica says, as if it’s obvious. At Lemon and Wade's confused expressions, she backpedals. "Never mind. I have no idea why I said that."

"What are you saying? You some kind of psychic?" Wade asks.

_I wish. Then I would know what Logan was thinking half the time._

"No. Let's just say I'm good at uncovering the truth."

Wade looks as if he’s about to press her further, but then something George says caught his attention. "Oh no you don't!" he shouts. "You can't take credit for that win. Everybody knows I had a miracle catch."

Lemon winces at his outburst. "Wade Kinsella! Didn't your daddy ever teach you it's rude to shout around somebody?" She glances out to the dance floor where Crazy Earl is still dancing to the music in his head. "Never mind, just trade seats with me."

Wade tries to argue, but one lift from Lemon's well-shaped eyebrow, and he vacates his chair, grumbling and gesturing dramatically for her to take a seat.

Now on Veronica's immediate right, Lemon leans closer and lowers her voice. "Thank goodness, I don't know how he didn't notice those guys, but who's complaining?"

"Not me."

"So how's the bet going?"

"I think I'm losing." Veronica sighs in annoyance, glancing over at Logan. "He hasn't shown the slightest sign of jealousy. Although…he said something to Wade earlier that caused him to storm off."

"It doesn't take much," Lemon says.

"Me, on the other hand…" Veronica exhales. "First there were your two friends, Cricket and Betty, then that singer, then the three mean girls, and now…her." She makes a dismissive gesture.

"Tansy Truitt."

"Tansy Truitt," Veronica repeats, distastefully. "He's not even trying. He just plops his cute little ass on a bar stool, and they all flock to him."

Lemon offers a sympathetic smile.

"I can't believe I'm sharing. I don't share. I don't do girl talk."

Lemon pats her hand, comfortingly. "Margaritas will do that, hon."

"Is he wearing an 'open for business sign' that everybody can see but me? What draws all of these girls to him?"

_Guess this disproves his theory that girls only like him for his father._

"He's your fiancé. Why do  _you_  think girls are drawn to him?"

Veronica pauses to formulate her thoughts. "He has this  _presence_ _._ Charisma, I guess. You could put him fully dressed in a room full of the world's most gorgeous male underwear models, and eyes would still keep returning to him. It's as if he's more…alive than the rest. Or maybe he just vibrates at a different frequency or something."

"Well then, you answered your own question," Lemon says,  _her_  eyes currently focused across the bar on Lavon Hayes.

"Even when I hated him, he always commanded my attention. Even when I wanted to punch him in his smug little mouth, I couldn't imagine my life without him in it."

_The room is spinning, and this conversation isn't even close to being about the cover story._

"He's just…smart and funny and brave…"

_And sexy._

_And looks at you in that way that makes you want to drop your panties._

Lemon is staring at Lavon Hayes again.

_Not that he isn't quite the fine specimen of manhood, but that looks a lot like a crush to me._

Although of a possessive nature, Lemon looks at George as if he’s a favorite pet. She’s obviously deeply fond of him, but Veronica can’t discern any grand passion in their relationship. Lemon had mentioned they've been together since high school – had been each other's first loves – but Veronica wonders if they stay together out habit rather than any kind of great love.

_Would Duncan and I have ended up like this if we'd stayed together? Holding on for nostalgia's sake while I watched another man across the room? His best friend?_

"Maybe things worked out the way they were supposed to."

"What things?"

She lowers her voice so Duncan can't hear. "Just thinking about my first love, and how devastated I was when he dumped me. But if he hadn't, I never would have experienced the kind of…passion I have with Nolan."

And there. The slightest flicker in Lemon's eyes confirms Veronica's suspicions. She’d put the idea out there, it’s up to Lemon to examine herself more closely.

"Pansy needs to go away."

"Excuse me?"

Veronica angles her chin at the blonde whispering something in Logan's ear. Whatever it is, it makes him laugh aloud.

"Tansy? I don't think you need to worry. She's one of Wade's girls."

"Wade's girls? Is that a club of some type?"

"You'd think so. I mean the handful of girls that usually go for him. Tansy and those girls." She points to Kelsey's group. "The Belles are supposed to stay away from him, but I know some of them sneak around, too."

"Well, it looks like she's gotten over Wade," Veronica says, pointing to where Tansy is running her fingers along Logan's arm.

"At least Tansy Truitt is better than Kelsey."

"It doesn't really matter who's worse, they're all hanging all over my fiancé."

"But you're allowing it."

Veronica doesn’t have an answer ready for that.

"Just call off the bet. What do you have to lose?"

_A kiss?_

_Damn the alcohol, because that's starting to seem more like a win._

With a half-formulated plan to get rid of Tansy, Veronica pushes her chair back, but before she can stand, Wade returns to sit at the head of the table on her left.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asks.

_To make a big mistake?_

"Um…?"

"I finally have time to talk; you can't walk away now."

"So talk." She scoots her chair back in.

The band begins playing Melissa Etheridge's  _' The Only One'_ , and Veronica's eyes meet Logan's. He’s still chatting with Tansy, but he smirks and wiggles his beer at her.

"You're cute," Wade is saying. "Have I ever mentioned how much I like petite girls?"

_Only about four times already._

"You do?" Veronica giggles and twirls her hair at him. "Well then I'm glad I never had that growth spurt my mom promised me."

"You're just about perfect the way you are."

_Wish other people felt that way._

"Thank you. So are you. You must work out a lot to have all of those muscles."

"Work out? No way!" Wade puffs his chest out in a gesture of pure cockiness, "These all come from hard physical labor."

He flexes his bicep, holding it up for her inspection. "Wanna touch?"

"Can I?" she asks breathlessly, squeezing the offered limb. "It's so big! And hard!"

Wade grins, pleased that she approves of his body, but she finds herself waiting for a double entendre that never comes. Logan never would have missed the opportunity for a lewd joke.

_And when did that start falling into the plus column rather than minus?_

> _**But I'm the only one who'd walk across the fire for you.  
>  And I'm the only one who'd drown in my desire for you. ** _

When her eyes find Logan's again, he’s locked onto her. Her breath catches at his intense stare, and butterflies take flight in her belly.

_Wade is charming. And pretty. So are thousands of other guys in the world._

_But only Logan would risk his life for me._

_And I would for him._

Wade is saying something to her.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

Wade lowers his voice and leans in towards her ear. "I understand. Kinda hard to concentrate when you're having  _eye-sex_  with your cousin."

Veronica pulls back and stares at him in surprise. She grasps for a reasonable explanation, but ends up lapsing into giggles. "I'm so sorry. I have a confession to make. Nolan isn't really my cousin."

"Ya don't say," Wade drawls. "Kinda got that impression from JT over there." he jerks his chin at Logan.

"JT?"

_Oh. The hat._

"What kind of game are you and your boyfriend playing?" Wade asks.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Then what is he?"

_Less than a boyfriend. Much more than a friend._

Veronica sighs. "My fiancé."

"So I repeat, what game are you and your fiancé playing?"

"Jealousy bet," Veronica says, looking down at the tabletop guiltily. "Whoever acts jealous, loses."

"You should have just told me."

"Why?"

"Because something about that guy just irks the hell out of me."

"Hey!"

He gives her a lazy smile, and leans way too close. Right into her personal space. "I could have helped."

"By sitting really really close?"

"Does that bother you?"

"Surprisingly, not as much as I would expect."

_I must be getting better._

_Or he must be harmless._

_Or I'm drunk._

He scoots even closer. Flings an arm across the back of her chair. "So how soon is the wedding?"

"Um…June?"

"Is that a question? You don't know when your own wedding is?"

"Well, Lo—" she stops herself. "NoLo likes to do all the wedding planning. I'll just show up when and where he tells me."

"NoLo?"

"Pet name."

"You  _sure_  he's not gay?"

"Positive."

"Well you're not married yet." He flashes her a toothy grin. "So how do you want to go about making him jealous?"

"Um…"

His fingers trace her jaw, and the way he’s staring at her lips makes Veronica's heart speed up.

Sure, it’s obvious what kind of guy he is, but she’s super buzzed and he’s still incredibly hot with those abs and dimples. And abs. She can't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him.

"Whatcha doin,  _cousin ?_ " Logan reaches around her to set his beer down loudly on the table.

"Nothing!" She jumps back, flustered and guilty.

"Mind scooting over, dude?" Logan asks Wade, stretching to reach for a chair from a nearby table.

Wade, looking annoyed by the interruption, rolls his eyes and pushes back from the table. "Take my seat,  _dude, "_  he says, standing and making the same dramatic gesture he'd given Lemon earlier. "There's a guy I need to talk to, anyway."

Logan's eyes follow Wade. "Wow, every I come near, that guy stalks off in a tantrum."

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
\ **Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

He turns his head to watch Wade walk away, mostly in order to hide his pissed off expression. He can't believe Billy Bob Studly had been seconds from kissing Veronica.

Onstage, Chessie and her band plays Sheryl Crow's  _' My Favorite Mistake'._

_Wonder how many girls think of me when they hear this song?_

Maybe Caitlin, who hadn't found him dangerous enough? Or Carrie, who'd insisted he choose between her and his vendetta against Veronica? Definitely Lilly, who'd flat-out admitted she'd made a mistake.

_Does Veronica still regret kissing me?_

His gut clenches, but he composes his features into a pleasant mask before bonelessly flopping into the vacant seat.

He glanced at Veronica. "Hey."

"Hi," she answers, her voice husky, and a large grin spreading across her face. A grin so sweet and sincere, his breath catches.

Surprised at her warm greeting, he hesitates before responding with the super original (and repeated) "Hey."

He nearly jumps when she touches his thigh under the table. His eyes widen as she feels tentatively around his leg.

_Is this her response to Chessie putting her hand on my thigh? Did she even see that?_

She ducks her head to the left, peeking under the table to tug his hand from where it grips the side of his chair.

_Oh. So that's what she was looking for._

She sandwiches his hand between her own warm hands, entwining their fingers together.

"What? You miss me or something?"

She shrugs and turns her face away as if embarrassed to admit it.

"You could've fooled me. Looked like you were about to make out with Wide."

"Wade," she corrects. "Was not."

"He was staring at your mouth. Two more seconds and he would have leaned in."

"Jealous?"

"Nope. Just wondering what you would have done if I hadn't shown up."

Her eyes flash with irritation. "You're the one who makes out with anything with a pulse. You know I've only kissed Duncan. And…" She trails off, her cheeks beginning to flush.

"And who, V?" His stare drills into her. For some reason, he needs to hear her validate what had happened between them at the convenience store. "Say it."

Her mouth sets in an obstinate line, and he’s positive she’ll refuse, but instead, she rises from her seat, and moves to stand beside him. He slings an arm around her back when she leans down to whisper in his ear. "I. Kissed. You." She puckers up and gives him a loud kiss on his cheek. "Happy?"

"Am now." He can't help but grin up at her. "You should do it again some time."

"Be a good boy, and I just might," she says, dropping heavily onto his lap. It has to be the alcohol, because she’s rarely this overtly flirtatious. Plus, she’s close enough he can smell the lime on her breath.

_But I'd rather taste it on her tongue._

"When does the judging period begin, because I've been on my best behavior for a good..." He checks his nonexistent watch, "…three minutes now. I didn't even make fun of Wade when I could have."

"How very adult of you. I'll include that in my evaluation."

He examines her eyes. Glassy.

Let's see if we can get some truth out of you.

"Do you regret kissing me the other day?" he asks in a lowered voice. "Do you think it was a mistake?"

Before she has the chance to speak, he notices Duncan several feet behind her, standing and staring at them with an inscrutable expression on his face.

Logan holds up a hand to stop her from answering.

 _" Drunk_ _!_ " he mouths to his best friend and Veronica proves his point by snuggling her cheek against his shoulder.

Duncan nods in acknowledgement. It’s a known fact back in the Fab Four glory days that a little alcohol makes Veronica a whole lot of affectionate.

_Still, we shouldn't rub it in his face._

"Duncan's watching us," he whispers.

"Is he mad?"

"That his ex-girlfriend totally wants to make out with me? No, he's ecstatic."

"Fine," she sighs, standing and returning to her own chair. Leaving a cold spot on his legs.

_Fucking Duncan. I was enjoying that._

_And she forgot to argue about wanting to make out with me._

"I told AnnaBeth I'd walk her home," Duncan says. "Is V going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Logan answers. "I'll get her back to the room safely."

Duncan nodsd again. "Catch you in the morning." His hand rests on AnnaBeth's lower back as they walk away.

_DK manning up? Whadya know?_

On stage, Chessie winks at him before launching into Sophie B. Hawkins' _'_ _Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover '._

_Why am I not surprised? A Lilly favorite for a Lilly reincarnation._

"So, where'd Tansy go?" Veronica asks, not paying any attention to the band.

"Tansy?" Between Veronica's surprising flirtation and Chessie's blatant invitation, he has to pause to remember the girl he'd been chatting with mere minutes ago. "She mentioned something about her loser brothers being here. How do you know who Tansy is?"

"Lemon told me."

"Oh…were you checking up on your dear  _cousin_ _?_ "

"Why would I do that?"

"Jealousy?"

"More like relief," Veronica teases. "That somebody might be willing to take you off my hands."

"Oh. Well _s_ he'd take me off your hands." Logan points to Chessie on stage who is unabashedly singing straight to him. "She'd rock me till' the daylight comes, and make sure I am smiling and warm."

He grins smugly when she sings the same lyrics at him moments later.

_Yeah, no mistaking her intentions. She's singing right to me._

Used to the coy signals of trophy wives (and the stepdaughters who hated them), Chessie's flagrant invitation is a refreshing change.

_And a complete turn on._

Both women wear predatory gazes - Chessie's aimed at Logan, while Veronica's is fixated on the singer.

_She's looking for weakness._

_God, that's hot._

She leans over to whisper to Lemon, who coolly examines both Chessie and Logan in turn before whispering back to Veronica.

He flashes her a knowing smirk when their eyes met again.

 

"We're Bayou Circus, and we'll be back in twenty minutes," Chessie says as the song ends. She nods at Logan, jerks her head towards the bar, and walks away.

Veronica puts her hand on Logan's knee. She’s about to say something, when the silence is broken by the jukebox turning back on. Squeals erupt at the table for the opening notes of Britney Spears'  _'Toxic' ._

"I can't escape this song," Veronica mumbles under her breath. "Your theme song," she clarifies, when her eyes meet Logan's again.

"'Bout time you admitted you're addicted to me." He smirks.

She quirks her lips, obviously about to reply with something witty, when Lemon, Cricket and Betty surround her, grabbing her hand and insisting that she join them on the dance floor.

 

A drink is waiting for him when he slips onto the barstool next to Chessie.

"Took you long enough," she says.

If he were smart, he would have ignored her summons. Veronica had seemed on the verge of saying something back at the table. Before those squealing magpies dragged her away to dance.

_But you don't piss off a woman who knows your identity and could have you arrested._

He studies her while they converse – when he isn't watching Veronica, that is. Chessie's animated features dance as she speaks, brows rising and falling, nose scrunching in amusement, teeth flashing spontaneous grins.

Although their conversation consists of mundane small talk, her sparkling green eyes make her intentions clear.

Finally, she chooses to go the blunt route. "Have you ever been with an older woman?"

Logan rolls his eyes. "What do  _you_  think?"

She nods, as if his answer is what she'd expect. "I have another hour in my set."

He waits her out.

She touches his knee. "I'm in room 32 at the Bluebird Inn. Care to join me?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Oh you know, a rousing game of checkers." She tosses her hair behind her shoulder. "Or we could just fuck."

_Fuck. That's hot._

He breaks out in a grin. "You women. Always playing coy."

His eyes sweep the room, locating Veronica on the dance floor looking adorable. "I appreciate the offer, but I made a promise to V that we'd leave here together. She's not used to drinking in public."

"You fucking her?" Chessie asks.

"No."

"Dating her?"

"Nope."

"But you want to."

He shrugs noncommittally. "Maybe."

"How does she feel about the matter?"

"Deny, deny, deny." Logan laughs wryly. "In her defense, I was a complete fuckhead to her for the past year."

"She didn't seem to be in denial when she was sitting on your lap a few minutes ago."

"Nah. She's an affectionate drunk. Always has been."

"So she has no claim upon you?"

"Technically, no."

"So if you were to walk her back to your room, get her settled, and then join me afterwards, what would she do?"

"Wish me a good time and pretend not to care."

_Then spend the next month freezing me out._

"So what do you have to lose?"

Logan pauses to consider. He can't deny that he’s super attracted to this woman. But is it really her? Or just the way she channels Lilly?

_I actually  could  meet her later. It's not as if Veronica would ever admit to caring._

He looks Chessie up and down. Light auburn curls, ample chest, generous thighs. Sparkling mischievous eyes.

_This woman could teach me things I've never even imagined._

_I need this, dammit!_

For seven days, he's been balanced on a knife's edge of adrenaline. Fearing for Duncan's life. Fearing for Veronica's. Bruised and battered from Fitzpatricks and Mexican bikers and over-eager fangirls. Car chases. Foot chases. And several cases of blue balls. He’s fucking exhausted.

And that doesn’t even take into account the emotional roller coaster. The real possibility that Duncan might choose to stay behind. That he might lose the one person he's been closest to since the age of five. That he might lose him anyway if and when his feelings for Veronica come out. And the intensity of those feelings! Tempted to strangle her one moment, and to walk through fire for her the next. Nobody can make him feel like Veronica. Whether that’s a positive or a negative depends on the day.

The pressure from all sides is overwhelming.

All his life, Logan has three methods for relieving stress – alcohol, fighting and sex. Getting wasted is off the table. He needs to remain constantly vigilant in case Liam finds them. Even his current minor buzz is a risk he shouldn't have taken. Fighting is out of the question. He can't afford to call any attention to them.

But how nice it would be to bury himself between this girl's thighs for a while. Just to take the edge off. A no-strings hookup to clear his mind and help him focus.

"It's just sex," she laughs, as if reading his mind. "Not a lifetime commitment."

" _You_  know that. And  I  know that. But I have a feeling  _she_  wouldn't see it that way." He points at Veronica on the dance floor.

He can't help the sinking feeling that fucking Chessie would be like cheating on Veronica.

_It's not cheating if she's outright told me that nothing will ever happen between us._

_But her actions say otherwise._

Who’s to say that he isn't misinterpreting, though? So she likes to cuddle in bed. It might mean she has feelings for him. Or…she could just be a girl who's suffered trauma at the hands of an attempted rapist, taking comfort where she can find it.

And their kiss…even better than he'd ever imagined – and he'd imagined it hundreds of times – but he knows better than anyone that a physical connection does not necessarily equal an emotional connection. And he won't settle for less. Not from Veronica.

She’s said nothing to encourage him, nothing to make him think that she wants anything more from him than friendship (and maybe an occasional kiss). So why shouldn't he meet Chessie at her motel?

But he can't help feeling that this is, once again, coming down to a Lilly vs. Veronica choice, and he’s still reeling from the last time he made that choice.

"You're considering it," Chessie says.

"Perhaps." He smirks at her. "Why me? There are dozens of guys around here. You a star-fucker or something?"

"Why? You think you're a star?"

"So it's the experience of hooking up with a fugitive that turns you on? "

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a guy in a hat."

_And I'm a sucker for a girl who goes after what she wants._

"Or maybe I just like the way you move," she continues.

"Well then you'd really like the way I'd move on top of you." He waggles his eyebrows in an exaggeratedly corny manner.

She flashes him Lilly's devilish smile. "So that's a yes?"

He’s giving her offer consideration when 'Toxic' ends on the jukebox, replaced by the opening notes of a Spanish guitar.

He laughs aloud.

This song – by Jay Z and Beyoncé – has been playing on a loop in his head for days. Ever since Veronica first said the words 'Ronnie and Clyde' after their encounter with Chardo.

He pushes back his bar stool.

"Where are you going?" Chessie asks.

He points to the speaker above their head. "Hear that?"

She nods.

"That's the sign I was looking for."

"What kind of sign?"

"A sign that maybe I should try taking things on faith." On a whim, he leans over and kisses her cheek. "I am truly flattered by your offer. Any guy would be lucky to sleep with you."

"But you've got it bad for Super Blondie."

Logan grins and gives an embarrassed shrug. "Only since I was twelve years old."

"Go on, then," Chessie shoves him away with a laugh. "But I hope for your sake that you two don't suffer the same fate as the real Bonnie and Clyde."

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

Veronica hasn't been dancing for almost a year. Two weeks before her death, Lilly had dragged her to a club in San Diego where she'd known the bartender. _'_ _The best way to get over one boy is to grind up on another, Veronica Mars.'_ she'd said, demonstrating on a nearby towhead just days out of Idaho. They'd danced to the brink of exhaustion, until they'd both been covered in a sheen of perspiration. Until the bartenders called out  _'Last Call'_  and the lights came on. She'd given fake phone numbers to three guys – much to Lilly's disappointment.  _'You have to get back in the saddle. Duncan was never worthy of your awesomeness, Ron.'_ Lilly had complained on the walk back to the car. 'Duncan, who?' Veronica had answered with mock seriousness.

She'd forgotten how amazing it felt to let her body take over, answering only to the music. The Britney song ends way too soon, and all three of her companions look tired.  _Too hot for dancing._

Cricket and Betty head back to the table, but Lemon, noticing her hesitation, remains on the dance floor like a trooper. Veronica is about to suck it up and suggest they go sit, when a body presses against her from behind.

"Logan…" she exhales, pressing back into him. She doesn’t need to see his face. After a week of snuggling in beds and mop closets - first accidentally and later on purpose – she’d recognize his body anywhere.

_Couldn't say the same about Duncan. Even after a year of dating._

Lemon gives her a  _'you're-in-good-hands'_  hand signal and exits the dance floor.

"They're playing our song, Ronnie," Logan leans down to whisper in her ear.

"Mmmm hmmm…"

> **But today, I got my thoroughest girl with me**  
>  **I'm mashin the gas, she's grabbin the wheel,**  
>  **it's trippy how hard she rides with me**

She laughs, "No sappy ballads for Veronica and Logan, huh?"

"Logan and Veronica." He corrects. "And what are you talking about? This is sappy. You should hear the other candidates."

"You'll have to play them for me some time."

"I'll make you a mix tape," he says with a chuckle. "We can call it  _'Love/Hate and Other Dysfunctional Contradictions' ."_ He presses his lips to the top of her head, to soften his words.

She recognizes this song. It had come out the year before, and although she doesn’t dislike it, she's never paid it much attention. Never noticed its inherent sensuality.

Or maybe it’s just Logan - his large hands guiding her hips in a loose figure-eight pattern. His body setting the rhythm, hers attached like static cling.

_I think I drank too much, because this feels like floating._

His mouth near her ear, whispers lyrics - or his own version of them -  _"Cause Ronnie's a rider and I'm a roller. Put us together, how they gonna stop both us"_

She laughs softly and covers his hands with her own. Exerting more pressure.

In response, his fingertips curl, digging into her flesh. Gathering handfuls of fabric. The scratch and scrape of the stiff tulle underskirt against the skin of her outer thighs made her tingle on the inside, and she reaches a hand up to the back of his neck to anchor herself.

 _"The '04 Bonnie and Clyde - Lo and V, holla."_ He laughs into her ear. She’s pretty sure those aren't the actual lyrics.

Her head fall heavily back against his chest, allowing her to look up at his face. "Hi," she says.

"Hi," he smiles down at her.

_It would be so easy to pull his mouth down to mine._

_What's stopping me?_

Something in her eyes must be telegraphing her lusty thoughts, because Logan's breath hitches and his hands began traveling. Tracing the outline of her body. Thighs. Hips. Waist. Ribs. When his thumbs brush along the sides of her breasts, her eyes close and she drags a ragged breath through her lungs.

"Sorry," he says, sliding his hands back down to the safety her hips.

_Don't apologize. Just keep groping._

She sags bonelessly against him, laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"I feel like a chocolate bar left in a hot car. I could melt all over you."

Dipping his head, he kisses her cheek. "You don't taste like chocolate."

"But I could…" she answers, with a Logan-esque waggle of the eyebrows.

Caught off guard, he seems momentarily speechless, before swallowing and saying, "Sounds...delish...but how about we start you off with the basics before moving on to the kinks?"

"You're no fun," she pouts. 

> **And I don't have to worry, only worry is him**  
>  **She'd do anything necessary for him**  
>  **And I'd do anything necessary for her**  
>  **so don't let the necessary occur**

 Logan takes a step back, twirling her around to face him. She laughs as she wobbles on her silver heels.

He steadies her and moves in, fingers gliding over her skin, raising goose bumps in their wake. From her bare shoulders down the outside of her arms, to her wrists. Lifting her hands, he pulls her closer, wrapping them around the back of his neck, and holding them in place with his own.

Veronica's eyes rise to Logan's face, where he stares with adoring eyes. "You're schmooping again."

"Should I stop?"

"Please don't."

Logan smiles then, and her heart flutters in response.

_God, he looks good in that hat._

"So what was up with that singer?"

He glances back at the bar. "She wants to fuck me."

_Shocking. That'll make headlines._

"You tell her your bed is already occupied?" she asks, with a forced air of nonchalance.

"I did."

"Good."

He wouldn't meet her eyes. "But then she invited me to join her at her motel, after I drop you off."

"Oh." Veronica's belly knots up, and the lump in her throat is so thick she has a hard time swallowing. She stares at his chest as she asks her next question. "Are you going to go?"

"Do you want me to tell her no?" He tenses, as if preparing for rejection, his neck becoming granite under her hands.

Even in her drunk, muddled state, she can tell her answer to this question is important. She slowly lifts her eyes to his face, almost knocked over by the intensity in his stare. "Yes."

Logan exhales deeply, the tension falling away, and his eyes softening until they resemble velvet. "I already did."

Her own tension dissipates. "You? Passing up easy sex?" she asks in exaggerated surprise.

His lips curl up faintly. "Look at me, getting my priorities straight."

"But why? You're single. She's…?"

"…not you."

Veronica's knees go weak and she’s grateful her arms are around his neck to support her weight. She turns away, afraid her emotions might be written all over her face.

His long fingers nudge her jaw, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I just…I think I should give you a little time to figure out how you feel before I do something that can't be taken back. You know?"

She would kiss him in this moment if he didn’t pull her flush against his body, pressing her cheek to his chest, and tightening both arms around her.

This isn't really dancing. Their bodies continue to sway together, at a fraction of the pace of the music. But it feels too good to stop.

She’s pressed up against him, drunk and relieved and overwhelmed. She swears she can see his pulse fluttering in this throat, so without over thinking it, she presses her lips to it. Logan inhales and tightens his fingers on her hips. When she parted her lips and tentatively touched her tongue to the same spot, he lets out an audible groan. She laughs softly and kisses a path across his neck like he'd done to her the day before. When she swirls her tongue over the junction of his neck and shoulder – the same spot that turns her to jelly – his hand tangles in her hair, and he hisses  _"Fuck, Veronica."_

_I just produced a reaction like **that** in Logan Echolls? _

Proud of herself, she does it again.

Logan pulls back from her, eyes dazed. "Cousins don't do that, Ronnie."

"I don't want to be your cousin."

He blinks, and when he speaks, his voice sounds hoarse. "Tell me what you do want."

She stares at him, unable to look away. She can't speak – no words exist to describe this mixture of longing and trepidation.

Beyoncé has a suggestion:

> **So I put this on my life**  
>  **Nobody or nothing will ever come between us**  
>  **And I promise I'll give my life**  
>  **My love and my trust if you was my boyfriend.**

Veronica looks away, embarrassed. As if she'd spoken the words herself. When she looks back up, Logan is smirking. She can't help but smirk back.

_What the hell are we doing? No way, we can play this off as cover story._

She knows there are others on the dance floor, but it feels as if she and Logan are the only two people in the world. His gaze drops to her lips, and she’s sure he’s going about to kiss her.

_Just do it already, Logan. You're killing me._

"You're staring at my mouth," she says, when he doesn't.

"Yeah."

"It's okay. I'll release you from your vow to not initiate a kiss first."

Logan shakes his head with a laugh and looks up at the ceiling as if asking for strength, before pressing her cheek to his chest again, severing eye contact.

_Whadya know? I make him nervous._

After a moment of silence, he speaks. "You kissed my neck. So you initiated the first kiss."

"Oh, so neck kisses count?" she asks. "Because I seem to remember you initiating one at the mall while I was trying to pick that lock."

He chuckles. "Okay, fine. Neck kisses don't count. How about shoulder kisses?" He bends to press his lips to her bare skin.

"I'll allow it," Veronica says with a shiver.  _Often._ "Although, to make things fair, you should wear something strapless."

"Or I could just take my shirt off, like your boy toy, Wade."

She giggles and nestles into his chest.

"Logan?"

"Hmm?"

"You think Lilly would be pissed about this?" she asks.

"Dancing?"

"No…"  _The kiss. The cuddling. The…feelings?_ "Yeah. Dancing"

"Um…no." Logan lets out a bitter laugh. "I'm pretty sure Lilly's ghost pressed the buttons on the jukebox to get me out here with you. We're playing right into her ghostly hands."

Veronica has a feeling Logan is talking about much more than the dancing.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

 _"Someday, when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold,"_ Duncan sings, reaching for one of AnnaBeth's hands and twirling her in a circle.   _"I will feel a glow just thinking of you. And the way you look tonight."_

AnnaBeth giggles. "What are you doing?"

"Serenading you in the moonlight." Duncan hops up onto one of the railroad ties lining the deserted road, walking heel to toe, as if on a balance beam. It’s still meltingly hot outside, but it’s cooled off enough where he can at least breathe now.

"Nobody's ever serenaded me before."

"Well that is a travesty. You should be serenaded daily. You're beautiful."

"Thank you," AnnaBeth said, and even if he can't see her blush in the dark, she hides her face as if he could. "You sure like to sing, don't you?"

"Mostly when I drink," Duncan admits. "Logan thoroughly detests it,"

"Who's Logan?"

 _Oh crap._ "Um…Best friend back home."

"I thought Nolan was your best friend."

"He is…I have two, actually. Nolan and Logan. They're both kind of jealous of each other."

"What's Logan like?"

"A lot like Nolan, actually. Which explains why they don't get along. Where are we going anyway?"

"You'll see. We're almost there."

They've been walking ever since they left the bar, AnnaBeth pointing out town landmarks, and Duncan trying not to fall in love with the place. Trying not to notice the 'For Rent' sign for the apartment above The Dixie Stop. Trying not to consider how he might make a living without any marketable skills.

_Better think on it anyway. You'll still have to find a job in Florida._

"Speaking of destinations…" AnnaBeth is saying. "…where are the three of you headed?"

_Shit ._

Of course, they want to point those searching for the Neptune Three towards Chicago. Neptune to Chicago by way of Dallas was a logical path. But their alter egos are from Seattle. How could he explain traveling from Seattle to Chicago by way of the Deep South?

_Going to have to wing it._

As much as he doesn't want to mention Florida, he doesn't have much of a choice. Bluebell is right on the Gulf of Mexico and, the only other nearby states are to the North.

"We're heading to Tallahassee. For a wedding."

"Wouldn't it have been easier and cheaper to fly?"

"Oh, of course," Duncan says. "But my sister Victoria has an irrational fear of flying, so we thought we could do the 'Great American Road Trip'."

"How lovely. So is it family getting married?"

"No…It's my…ex-girlfriend…"  _What am I saying?_ He fumbles for a name. "Betty."

"Oh!" AnnaBeth grasps his forearm in sympathy. "Are you okay about it? Is it painful?"

He pastes on a stoic expression. "It's a little bittersweet, but I'm happy for her."

"Did you love her very much?"

"Once upon a time. I'm okay now."

"Who ended the relationship?"

"Actually, our parents did,' Duncan says. "Our moms made it happen."

"Why would they do a thing like that?"

"Well…" Duncan takes a deep breath, searching for a story. "They hate each other. Always have."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Went all the way back to high school. I think it had something to do with my dad."

_This is becoming a uncomfortably close to the truth about Veronica. Shake things up, Duncan._

"And they forced you to break up?"

"They managed to put aside their animosity temporarily for the greater good of tricking us into breaking up."

"How could they trick you into breaking up?"

Duncan searches his mind. "Oh, the usual ways. This other girl...um...Pam…started showing interest in me. I tried to let her down easy, but she started acting crazy and stalking me and playing tricks on Betty to convince her I'd cheated on her."

AnnaBeth's eyes widen. "That's horrible! Was she crazy?"

"Nope, just a very good actress. Turns out, she was paid by our moms to break us up. But by then, it was too late. Betty had already moved on with her new boyfriend...Troy."  
_  
Now that I've spoiled the entire plot of 'Twisted Cravings', I can only pray she's not an Aaron Echolls fan._

Then again, if he continues with this movie plot, next would be the part after the reveal, where his character has rough hate-sex with the Pam character in an elevator, intercut with shots of the sweet Betty character hanging herself from a bell tower, taking to her grave the knowledge that she'd known all along she was in love with her own brother.

_Bringing me full circle back to Veronica._

Annabeth is shocked. "Your mother paid a girl to pretend to stalk you? That's insane!"

_And now she's happy I'm leaving town in the morning, so she'll never have to meet my wicked mother._

Duncan is finding more and more as the night went on, that he actually enjoys inventing a backstory. Becoming a completely different person. He feels a trickle of excitement every time he makes up a story, but he may have ventured a little far outside the edges of believability. "Yeah, I cut all contact with my mother after that. For Pam, it was just an acting job."

"I am so sorry you had it so rough," Annabeth says with sincerity. "Do you have a girl at home now?"

 _Nope. As lonely as I've always been._ "Nobody. How about you? You dating anybody?"

AnnaBeth looks away shyly. "No. I dated Jake Nass for two years, but we recently broke up. He met another girl he liked better."

"Then he must have been crazy, because if you were my girlfriend, you'd be the only girl in the world."

_And you could be my girlfriend._

"Aren't you just the sweetest thing?"

They step into a clearing where moonlight shines down onto a large pond.

"Wow," Duncan says. "This is beautiful."

"I think so." Annabeth turns her back to Duncan. "Can you unzip me?"

He swallows thickly. Forcing his hands to remain steady, he draws the zipper down its path on her green summer dress. "Okay."

"Thanks," she says, sliding the dress off her shoulders, stepping out of it, and draping it carefully on a wooden picnic table.

Her bra and high-waisted underwear set - navy with white polka dots - resemble something from a fifties pinup calendar.

_It's like the land that time forgot. In a really hot way._

"Wh-what are you doing?" Duncan asks.

"Just what everybody else around here does," she says. "But I've always had to worry about propriety and being a lady."

Duncan can't breathe.

"What are you waiting for?" She gestures towards his clothes with an index finger, her meaning clear.

Hesitantly, he strips down to his boxers, placing his clothing on the table next to her dress.

_If we do this, I'll never be able to leave._

_Would that be such a bad thing? Maybe I'm holding Logan back. He wouldn't need to run and hide if he wasn't protecting me._

_And without me around, Veronica would never have to find out we're related._

"…but tonight…" Annabeth is saying. "It's the heat wave, and for once, I don't feel like being a lady."

She reaches for a thick rope tucked behind a tree branch. A massive knot secures a wooden disc to the bottom.

_Wow. Did I ever misinterpret that speech?_

She lifts one foot to the disc. Gripping the rope tightly, she lifts her second foot, swinging out over the pond and letting go at the highest point of its arc, dropping with a loud splash.

Duncan catches the rope on the way back.

"Come on," Annabeth calls from the water. "The water's warm."

He can practically hear Celeste's disapproving commentary in his head, warning him about water-born parasites, and rusty nails and hepatitis.

_Fuck you, mom._

_Well Lilly, you wanted me to live a little. If this is heat wave fever, I don't want to be cured._

Duncan lets out a whoop as he swings out over the pond, twisting to dive headfirst as he releases the rope.

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**  


Logan has to shake himself to keep from staring at Veronica in stunned disbelief.

_She kissed my fucking neck!_

They'd talked some more and danced the remainder of the song, but he was unable to stop thinking about the feel of her tongue on his skin.

He doesn't care about the bet anymore. He just wants to be alone with Veronica.

He'd been about to tell her so, when the song ended. Had been about to take her by the hand to lead her out the door, when Lemon ran up to snatch her away, insisting she come settle an argument for her.

He could have just followed. He had a right to stand next to her. She was his fiancée, after all. Kind of.

_Not at all._

But he was so overwhelmed by the neck kiss he couldn't think straight.

Still is.

He gets another beer from the bar, and leans against a wall watching her.

Dozens of other girls have kissed him that way, so why is this any different?

_Veronica makes everything feel new again._

Back in the early days with Lilly, she'd trained him that sex was the objective. Every kiss, a means to an end. One step closer to the main event.

The day they'd left California, he'd woken in the middle of the night to Veronica trying to squirm her way into his arms. She hadn't been awake, and he could have pulled away or taken her place at the foot of the bed without her ever knowing. But maybe he'd needed her as much as she'd needed him, so instead, he'd covered her up with the sheet and pulled her close, experiencing his first moment of contentment since Lilly's death. And that's how it’s been ever since. Cuddling in bed isn't going to lead to sex, and he’s fine with that. It’s a sort of happiness he hasn't experienced with Lilly or anybody else. He imagines this is the sort of trajectory other guys took. Guys who have to work to get laid. Guys whose first loves weren't nymphos.

He kind of prefers it this way. He imagines, were she inclined, he could spend hours just kissing her. It’s nice. It’s  _new_.

Her eyes find his from across the room, and she flashes him a beautiful smile. His belly flutters, and an answering smile stretches across his own face.

She turns back to her discussion with Lemon.

Several feet to his left, Wade chats with George and another man. To his right, an open door leads outside to a patio of sorts.

When Veronica meets his eyes again, he flicks his eyes towards the patio door and back. She catches on, and smiles again, flashing him the 'one-second' sign with her finger.

He slips outside to the patio, heart hammering in his chest.

_What am I doing? What do I do once she gets out here? What do I say?_

The patio is vacant, the sweltering heat keeping everyone inside with the barely-there AC and the useless ceiling fans. The parking lot and the main road aren't visible from this side of the building, only a single-lane gravel road leading away to nowhere.

From the open doorway, he hears the sounds of the band returning to the stage. Launching into an Amy Winehouse number – _'_ _You Know That I'm No Good' ._

He’s bouncing off the walls with a strange sort of...energy. Excitement.

_Why? It's not as if I don't sleep with her every single night._

_But this is different, somehow._

"Well  _there_  you are!" a feminine voice calls out.

Unless Veronica has suddenly developed a twang, it’s the wrong girl. He turns around. "Tansy," he says, flatly.

"I was wondering where you'd disappeared to," she says, stepping out into the night.

"Hey, this isn't the best time."

"Tell me when Wade's looking," she says, ignoring his comment.

He sighs. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Nonsense, you're standing out here all by your lonesome," Tansy teases. "This will only take a second."

Logan sighs. "Fine, but make it quick though. I'm waiting for someone."

_What's taking Veronica so long?_

"You have to help me." Tansy moves closer. "Wade is making me just about insane. He hasn't paid any attention to me all night. Except when I'm with you."

"Yeah, I think he sees me as a threat. He doesn't seem to like me very much."

"Is he looking?"

Logan glances through the doorway. Wade's full attention is on George.

 _Just help her out and get this over with._ "Yeah, he's staring out here and he looks really jeal—"

Suddenly, Tansy is molded against his body, arms tight around his neck, shoving her tongue down his throat.

_What the fuck?_

It takes him a second to realize what’s happening, and then he grasps her by the forearms and pulls away, staring at her as if she's grown a second head.

_What exactly did I say to make her think this was a good idea?_

He glances over Tansy's shoulder and freezes. Veronica stands backlit in the doorway, an expression of hurt and betrayal on her face. Their eyes meet, and Logan feels as if somebody has ripped out his  _own_  heart, crushing it beneath their shoe.

_Oh fuck!_

She spins on her heel, storming off across the room making a beeline straight for...

_She thinks I lured her out here to witness that kiss. For that stupid bet._

Logan stumbles around Tansy to chase after her. "V! Wait! I didn't do it!"

Veronica doesn't stop. Doesn’t even slow. Not until her mouth is attached to Wade's.

If Wade is surprised by Veronica's actions, he manages to rally quickly, pulling her closer and proceeding to kiss the hell out of her.

_Fuck!_

A gasp to his right tells Logan that Tansy has followed him back inside.

_Good. She caused this._

The burning sensation in Logan's gut feels like he's swallowed a chunk of magma, and his jaw clenches so tightly it’s a miracle he doesn't break any teeth.

_Breathe through it, Logan. You've taken worse hits than this._

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Rammer Jammer**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

Slightly dizzy, Veronica takes a second to steady herself after Wade's lips pull away.

_Wow! The boy knows how to kiss._

_Maybe it's not a jolt of electricity like with Logan, but..._

Logan. Her stomach drops.

_Asshole._

_Not technically cheating, but so much for his pretty words about not doing something that couldn't be taken back._

Turning, she searches out his face, determined to prove to him how little she actually cares. She finds him soon enough, right behind her in fact, but it isn't jealousy in his eyes. It’s…misery?

_Good. How do you think I felt?_

Because she'd barely been able to concentrate the entire time she was saying goodbye to Lemon and the Belles. Wondering what Logan wanted. Wanting to go to him immediately.

And then to find out that he'd only wanted to make her jealous.

Sure, he wants to win the stupid bet, but after their dance, she'd thought things were different somehow. He could have won the bet without resorting to hurting her.

"I didn't kiss her back," he says, quietly. "She threw herself at me."

Her head is spinning from the alcohol, but she knows what she saw. Logan and Tansy kissing.

_Or did I?_

She replays the scene in her mind. Tansy pressed up against Logan. Her arms around his neck. Her stupid mouth against his stupid mouth.

_Where had his hands been?_

They'd been at his sides, and then he'd lifted them to…

_… push her away._

_Oh fuck!_

"V?"

It takes all of her willpower to be able to meet his eyes. "I think I made a mistake."

"It's okay." Logan's voice is still quiet, but his face is utterly blank. He stretches out a hand to her. "Come here."

She examines his expression. Does he mean it? Is this the Logan she's spent the past week with? Or is it psychotic jackass Logan in sheep's clothing waiting to make her pay?

She just wants to get out of here. Duncan is long gone. Lemon and the other Belles left minutes ago. There’s no reason to stick around.

"It's okay," Logan repeats. "We can talk about it later."

"Okay." She smiles hesitantly, and takes a step towards him. She’s reaching for his outstretched hand, when she’s grabbed roughly by the shoulder and spun around.

"You keep your damn hands off my boyfriend," Tansy hisses, eyes narrowed in anger.

"Tansy…" Wade sighs and steps forward. "I'm not your boyfr—"

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Veronica interrupts. "You didn't seem to care about Wade when you were all over my boyfriend outside?"

_Don't look at Logan. DON'T look at Logan._

"Your cousin is your boyfriend?" Tansy releases Veronica's arm as if afraid of catching something toxic. "I don't know where you're from, but around here…"

"Where have you been the last fifteen minutes? Guess you missed that little display on the dance floor?"

They’re drawing a crowd. Most of the patrons of the bar have gathered near, attracted by the drama unfolding.

"She's not my cousin, Tansy," Logan says, moving closer. "If you would have just listened when I told you I was waiting for someone outside…"

Tansy spins on him. "She's not your cousin?"

"No."

"So when you told me that Wade was hitting on your cousin?"

"I lied. I mean, he was hitting on her, but she wasn't my cousin."

"You said you were trying to help me with Wade." Tansy is so angry she hardly registers that Wade is within earshot.

Logan looks guiltily at his feet.

"We weren't making Wade jealous at all, were we?"

_Careful Logan, she's like a cat with a twitchy tail._

"No," Logan exhales. "Wade couldn't care less. We were making her jealous."

Tansy throws herself into the punch, her fist connecting with Logan's face with everything she has. His head snaps back, but he remains on his feet, using his knuckles to wipe the trickle of blood away from his nose.

Without thinking about the repercussions, Veronica launches herself at Tansy.

Before she can reach the woman, Wade's forearm hooks around her abdomen and drags her roughly off her feet.

"Let me go," Veronica shrieks, kicking her feet and trying to pry his arm off. "She hit him!"

"He kind of deserved it. He was being an asshole," Wade says in her ear. "Settle down."

"I know! But you don't hit my jackass right in front of me." She tries biting Wade on the arm, but the flexed muscle is like granite and hurts her teeth. "Let go. You're hurting me."

Then Logan is there. "Get your fucking hands off her." His tone is deceptively calm.

_Too calm. He's about to blow._

Wade sets her down, and pushes her to the side. "What are you going to do about it  _NoLo_ _?_ Challenge me to a dance-off?" He smirks and puffs his chest out in a show of male bravado.

Logan grins.

Not his sweet grin, or his sexy grin, or his ironic grin.

Nope, this is the ugly grin.

_Oh hell!_

He turns his body slightly, as if to walk away.

_Things are about to get…unpleasant._

And then plants a fist in the middle of Wade's face.

Wade goes down, catching himself with a palm to the floor.

Logan's attention turns back to Veronica. "You okay? How bad did he hurt you?"

He doesn't see Wade getting back up. Doesn’t see him pull back a fist and let fly.

"LOGAN!" Veronica yells.

She has to hand it to him, Logan has catlike reflexes. He ducks just in time, and the punch connects with the face of the guy standing behind him.

_Oh no!_

_Todd Gainey Jr._

Within minutes, the conflict escalates into a full-fledged bar fight. Todd Gainey Jr's gang of friends from Fillmore are quick to jump in, as are Wade's friends.

Those who aren't fighting quickly get the hell out of the way, pulling back to corners, ducking behind tables, or running out the door. Veronica, trapped in the middle of the action finds herself buffeted from all sides by hips and elbows. Separating her further from Logan.

She can just make out his profile across the room, about to be struck in the head by one of the guys from the Gainey gang. Before she can scream to warn him, Logan's friend, the singer, clubs the man with the bottom of her mic stand. The guy drops to the floor, and Logan has only a moment to peer over the crowd, before he’s swallowed up again.

On the far side of the bar, Veronica can see Tansy and that mean girl Kelsey in a hair-pulling match, but whether over Wade or Logan, she can't say.

Surrounded by swinging arms and grunting bodies, she can't locate Logan, and is beginning to panic. She takes a George Tucker butt to her abdomen and goes down hard. Crawling under a nearby table, she digs through her bag for Mr. Sparky.

"Logan!" she yells.

_Fuck! Wrong name!_

Suddenly, he’s there, crouched down and reaching for her. "Are you okay?"

She nods. "Just a little banged up."

"Okay, we have to get out of here." He helps her up and pulls her through the crowd at a crouch, shielding her from flying fists with his body. Still, she has to taser three guys on their way across the room.

Right before they make it through the patio door, a voice yells. "Hey! Where the hell you think you're going? You started all of this!" It sounds a lot like Wade.

Logan clutches her hand and they take off at a run, nearly knocking over a round black man wearing a bow tie and a straw panama hat, who's chosen that exact moment to step out onto the patio for a cigar.

"Heat wave fever," he says, shaking his head sadly as they run past. "Happens every year."

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

Even with her wet hair slicked back into a low ponytail, Annabeth is still one of the prettiest girls Duncan has ever met.

They'd had a great time splashing and swimming in the moonlit pond. Afterwards, they'd air-dried on an old wooden picnic table, talking and staring at the stars.

Now, walking slowly down the main drag of the town, she hesitantly reaches for his hand. "Do you think…?" Annabeth begins. "If you were sticking around town…?"

"Yeah," Duncan says. There’s something about this girl. Soft and feminine, genteel and whimsical. Ladylike, with an underlying strength of character. But fun at the same time. She’s nothing like the girls back in Neptune - Shelly, Pam, Madison, and the gang. If anything, she reminds him of Veronica.  _His_  version of Veronica. Before she'd become hard and brittle.

He could fall hard for this girl if given the chance. He has the sense that she could be not only a girlfriend, but a good friend as well.

_It doesn't have to be a missed opportunity._

"Yeah," he repeats. "If we were sticking around, I would take you out on proper dates, and get to know your family, and root for your turtle in the turtle races. I wish that I could."

_I still can. It's not too late._

She flashes a sad little smile. "Well I guess we're here."

"Where?"

"Your B&B," she says, pointing at the Victorian they’re standing in front of.

Suddenly, Duncan is not ready for the night to end. "Are you in a big hurry to get home?"

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

They've been running down the gravel road for nearly three minutes when Logan identifies the noises coming from Veronica as hysterical laughter. He skids to a halt, bending over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"What's so funny?"

"I don't know. It's just…we keep running – the wrong way – but nobody's chasing us, and we just started a bar fight. And I tried to punch somebody. Over  _you!_  The guy who just happened to smash my headlights two weeks ago."

Logan can acknowledge the humor in the situation. "You forgot the part where you gnawed on your new boyfriend's arm."

"That wasn't an arm. It was a block of marble. And only because  _your_ new girlfriend started it."

He straightens, and when he turns to face Veronica, she flings herself into his arms, feet dangling inches off the ground.

"And I feel so good," she says, kissing the tip of his nose.

Laughing, he spins her around in a circle several times, causing her legs to wrap around his waist for stability while she clutches his neck in a death grip.

"Logan! You're going to make me puke!" she cries out.

He stumbles dizzily to a nearby tree pressing his palm against it for support. Veronica wiggles to avoid slipping, and his free hand comes up to support her weight. Belatedly, he realizes his hand is  _under_  her dress, and he’s holding her up by one smooth, bare thigh.

He groans and takes two steps forward, pinning her between his body and the tree.

"Log—"

Logan cuts her off, nudging her head to the left before assaulting her neck. Her ragged breathing urges him on, as he covers every inch of her throat with wet kisses. She whimpers as he drags his teeth across the top of her shoulder, and fucking  _moans_  when he runs his tongue along the edge of her strapless neckline. The fedora lays abandoned on the ground, and her hands roughly tangle in his hair, dragging him closer. His forearm is pressing the outside of her breast, deepening her cleavage, before he realizes where they are and what they’re doing.

He drags his mouth away. "That's for what you did on the dance floor," he says with a strained laugh.

Leaning over her left shoulder, he presses his forehead to the tree, concentrating on getting his breathing under control.

_What the fuck am I doing? Not tonight!_

_Any other night, but not when she's drunk._

Veronica wiggles in his arms. "More," she demands, arching her neck back.

"No more tonight."

"So are you saying this is a game of one-up now?"

"Not sure you  _can_  one-up that without clothes coming off, Ronnie."

"Keep dreaming, buddy."

He must have telegraphed his intention to set her down on the ground, because her arms and legs tighten around his body.

_She's not going anywhere._

Logan chuckles, and presses his cheek to hers. "So are we okay?"

Veronica's sigh ghosts across his skin. "I think I misunderstood. I thought you lured me out there to win the bet"

"I knew what you were thinking." Logan pulls back enough to where he can see Veronica. "I'm sorry you were hurt. I would never do that to you on purpose."

"This week," Veronica says. "Last week you would've."

He closes his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers in a gesture meant to communicate his regret.

"Last week you wouldn't have cared who I was kissing."

"Actually, seeing you draped all over Caitlin was nausea inducing. You could do so much better."

"I know."

_Like you._

He presses his cheek to hers again, afraid that if he keeps staring at her, he'll have to kiss her.

"Logan?"

"Hmm?"

She takes so long to answer that he thinks she might have changed her mind about whatever she wants to say.

He pulls back again to look at her. "What, V?"

She looks uncomfortable, but then exhales and speaks. "As long as I've known you, all the girls have wanted you."

"Not  _all_ of them."

"Enough of them. It's always been obvious."

"Okay?" He isn't sure if she’s trying to make a point or just drunk rambling.

"It's just…you really don't have to point it out to me at every opportunity."

He keeps his thoughts to himself and waits her out.

"I know the kind of girls you're used to. How they only want what everybody else wants."

_If she gives me the same supply and demand lecture I gave Tansy…_

"I'm not like them, Logan. I've never been that girl who wants something just because everybody else does. That's not a selling point for me."

"Do I have any selling points?"

"So many," she says, quietly. "But not that."

He can't help himself. His lips brush softly across hers, not lingering, too soft to deepen into a real kiss.

_Can't do this._

He feels as if they've come a long way tonight. She may not have outright articulated it, but her behavior proves without a doubt that his feelings are at least partially reciprocated. Now, he can play it safe, or he can risk ruining everything.

Thing is, the way she was hitting on him is out of character for her. Her interest appears to be genuine, but her bravado could only be attributed to the alcohol. Or the magical heat wave fever.

When she wakes up tomorrow and tries to backtrack - and she will try to backtrack - he would at least be able to say he hadn't done anything tonight that might jeopardize their future relationship.

The last thing he wants is the silent treatment.

Before she dated Duncan, even before that day they'd woken up alone in his bed, there'd been the party at Dick's house.

 

  

**Flashback – June, 2002**  
**Logan**  
**Casablancas Estate**

 

_Logan is kicking Beaver's ass at a new video game, and Veronica is squeezed between himself and the arm of the couch, practically in his lap. He's seen her drunk a few times, and it's common knowledge that alcohol amplifies her sweet, affectionate nature. So between turns, he drapes his arm around her and massages her shoulder._

_They can't be together, but the innocent touches are a common occurrence. Trying to maintain some kind of connection, he supposes._

_Somebody shouts from the doorway that Dick is about to do a keg stand, and the room clears out. For the most part. Logan remains. One Dick keg stand is much like any other._

_" Alone at last," he teases Veronica with a waggle of his eyebrows, and she flashes him a shy smile._

_That's when she tries to kiss him. She doesn't throw herself at him; she simply closes her eyes and puckers her lips._

_He stares for a moment in incomprehension, nearly laughing when she tries to peek through one cracked eyelid. She is utterly adorable. And he's single. Again._

_What could it hurt to kiss her just once? One fleeting touch of his lips to hers. It'll be over as quickly as it starts._

_He's lifting a hand to her cheek when he catches sight of Lilly across the room, a triumphant expression on her face._

_Bitch!_

_His hand drops heavily. "It's not going to happen, Ronnie."_

_Her eyes open, looking confused. And a little hurt._

_" I know damn well that Lilly put you up to this."_

_She opens her mouth as if to protest, and then looks away guiltily. "How'd you know?"_

_" Because I know Lilly, and I'm not going to play into her little schemes."_

_" It's not a scheme," Veronica protests. "She said that you should be my first kiss. Because you would do it right, and then I'd know how to tell a good kisser from a bad one."_

_" That's the truth."_

_" So she dared me to kiss you tonight."_

_And he's tempted to do it. Because he wants her to win her dare. And he simply wants her. But he still believes she's too good for him, and he won't give that bitch the satisfaction._

_He helps her stand and delivers her to Lilly. "I believe this belongs to you. Make sure she gets home safely."_

_" I can't believe you screwed that up, Logan." Lilly whispers in his ear._

_He leans over to whisper back. "Fuck you!"_

_He hears her tinkling laughter as he stalks away._

_He fucks Ashley that night, specifically because she's not a blonde._

_It doesn't help. It never does._

_Veronica spends the next two weeks avoiding him and refusing to look him in the eye. He feels like crap because he can't even explain himself._

 

He doesn't want to risk that again – the possibility that tonight's drunk, affectionate Veronica will turn into sober, not-speaking-to-him, Veronica in the morning.

It had been just one of many instances of Lilly's campaign to get him and Veronica together. Two months later, he'd almost slipped up when he'd woken up with Veronica in his arms. Later, Lilly admitted to setting that one up too.

He brushes her hair off her face. "I should have been your first kiss."

"Well, you had plenty of opportunities. Before I dated Duncan."

He shakes his head ruefully. "I'm so stupid."

"You said it. So this is what you look like at eye-level," she says, changing the subject.

"You like?"

"Fishing for compliments, Logan?" She cups his cheek. "You know how pretty you are."

Logan grins. "And you know you lost our bet. When you made out with  _Wide_ _._ "

"Wade."

"Whatever."

"You kissed Tansy first."

"You mean Tansy  _mauled_ me first. And then off you ran like a jealous little girlfriend to pay me back by sticking your tongue in  _Wide's_ mouth."

"Wade. And you're right."

He pulls back, eyes wide. "And…hell has frozen over. Did I just hear what I thought I heard?

"You're right," Veronica says, leaning in close to his ear. "I was a Very. Very. Jealous. Girl." She punctuates each word with a soft kiss along his jawline.

He gulps. "I know you were."

"So you win. Take your kiss." Her voice says she’s making a great sacrifice, but her eyes glitter with excitement.

"Nope."

Veronica pulls back in surprise. "What?"

"I said, nope. I think I'll save it."

"Why?"

He almost laughs at her outrage. "I think I'll save it for when I really need it. Make it my _'_ _Get out of jail free kiss_ _'._ "

Her eyes narrow. "You were jealous, too."

"Not really. But just to show you what a great guy I can be, I'll give you a massage anyway. Name the time and place."

She tilts her head, curious. "Why weren't you jealous?"

"Because I knew you'd rather be kissing me."

Veronica snorts. "Somebody's full of himself tonight. For your information, it was a very good kiss. Wade's a great kisser."

_Well fuck._

"Better than me?"

"Technique-wise? Similar."

"Oh."

_I should have hit him harder. Much harder._

"But it was missing all the tingles and electricity and stuff."

Logan grins.  _You haven't yet begun to see electricity._

"…and I remembered my name," she says, in barely more than a whisper.

"Fuck, you're making this hard," Logan groans.

"Then do it. Take your kiss. You won it."

"No."

Veronica sighs. "If a girl wants something done…" She grips his face between both of her small hands, but he pulls away.

"Uh-uh." He shakes his head.

"Aren't you the one always trying to convince me to kiss you?"

Logan smirks. "I'm confident you'll try again."

"I won't." She shakes her head stubbornly. "This was your one and only chance."

Logan dips his face closer so that their lips are centimeters apart, pulling back when she tries to kiss him again. "Mmm…I see that."

"Unless we were to find ourselves in another cop situation and needed a distraction."

Logan laughs. "See? You're already making exceptions."

"Shut up." Veronica's eyes flash. "You make me so…"

"Pissed off?"

"Horny."

"FUCK!" he tugs her earlobe between his teeth. "You're trying to kill me."

"Why don't you want to kiss me?" She sounds genuinely curious.

"Trust me, I've never wanted anything more."

"Then why not?" She tries to catch his lips by stealth, but he lifts his chin out of the way.

"Two reasons."

"Two reasons too many."

"One, if anything were to happen between us right now, it would be because of alcohol and hormones, and I want you to pick me with your head. With a clear head."

"Pick you over whom?"

"Just pick me."

"What's number two?"

"Two, your mouth is full of  _Wide_  cooties."

"Wade. And I thought people over third grade were immune to cooties."

"You learn something new every day. You'll need to brush and gargle for at least three minutes before you get your tongue in my mouth again."

"Real mature, Logan."

"I'm not known for my maturity." Logan hears a noise, and glances over his right shoulder for a moment, and then back at Veronica. "And three…"

"You said there were only two reasons."

"Well now there are three reasons."

"Well? What?"

"Three." He holds up three fingers. "We're about to be eaten by a giant alligator."

 


	25. Day Seven - Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I've been debating with myself for months whether to publish this chapter (picking up where the last one left off), or to skip ahead to the following morning. Nothing really advances the plot much here, but maybe (hopefully?) you'll like it a little. Not sure if it could be any more corny. I'm a little rusty.
> 
> A/N See my Tumblr for songs mentioned in this chapter. Add /tagged/SilverFics-playlists to the end of the my URL

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

_ Giant alligator? Must not have heard that correctly. _

Veronica tightens her grip on Logan's shoulder, leaning to the left and peering around him.

_ Long snout. Squat legs. Webbed feet. Teeth. _

_ Lots of teeth. _

Hair lifts on the back of her neck. "Yep. That's an alligator."

Logan slowly lowers her to the ground, speaking through his teeth. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Stay perfectly still."

"Think that'll trick him?" His hands tighten on her hips.

Something between a growl and a hiss issues from the beast's throat.

"Nope. I think he's on to us."

"Dammit. Have anything in your purse?"

"Not a juicy steak."

"Surprising, knowing your appetite. But I was thinking something more like your taser." His face is ashen, even in the minimal glow from the moon.

"Do you really want to get close enough to an alligator to taser it?"

"It's not my first choice for Saturday night fun. So then, what do we do?"

"Do unprovoked alligators attack?"

"I have no idea." Logan lets out a nervous laugh. "In the water, maybe. They'll try to drown you by rolling. Don't think I've ever heard of one attacking adults on dry land."

_ Am I imagining it, or is that thing closer now? _

"Maybe we should run," Veronica says.

"Like in a zigzag pattern?"

"I don't know. I think that's a myth." She sighs. "To be honest, I'm not sure I'm in any condition for more running. My head's still spinning."

"From me or the alcohol?"

_ A little of both, to be honest. But I'm admitting nothing. _

He glances at the creature again, and scratches his head. "People wrestle those things."

"Logan!" She smacks him on the chest. "Are you crazy? You're not going to wrestle an alligator."

"Maybe I could hold its mouth closed or something, and you could hit it with a branch.

She snorts. "And if you're holding its mouth closed, how am I supposed to avoid hitting you?"

"Good point." Logan glances up above them. "Okay. New plan. At the count of three, I'm going to lift you up, and you're going to grab that tree limb."

Veronica follows his eyes up to a thick branch. "Then how would you get up? It's too high to jump."

"Don't worry about me."

She peers around his shoulder finding the alligator even closer. "No. We're in this together, Logan. No martyrs."

"Bullshit." Logan's hands tighten on her hips, and he shifts his weight in preparation to lift her. "I'll try to get a hand under your foot, so I can hoist you up."

"Not. Happening." Veronica says.

He sighs in annoyance. "You want us both to get eaten?"

"We stick together."

"Fine. Give me your bag," he says with a sullen exhale, easing the green canvas off her shoulder.

"I told you, there's nothing edible in there."

"No, but it's huge and solid. I can either swing it like a weapon, or toss it in his mouth. Maybe I could jam his jaws open and buy us enough time to get past him."

"I have expensive equipment in there."

"Equipment worth being eaten over?"

"When you put it that way…" she sighs. "What if you miss?"

Logan gave her a  _ 'what-do-you-think?' _  look and she shudders.

The alligator is definitely closer now. Smiling maniacally.

"You're remarkably calm," Logan says.

"Only on the outside." She touches his cheek tenderly, and he leans into her hand. "My heart is pounding like crazy."

"Mine too." He searches her eyes. "Just in case this doesn't work…anything you want to say before we become midnight snacks?"

"Talking is overrated," she whispers, curling her fingers around his jaw and drawing him closer.

Logan's laugh has a manic edge to it. "Can't say you're not determined."

His lashes lower, and his lips are a mere millimeter away from hers, when a loud voice calls out. "Burt Reynolds!"

Logan startled, pulls away and glances over his shoulder. "Nope!" He calls back. "And I always considered myself more of a James Dean or Marlon Brando, to be honest."

Veronica rolls her eyes.  _ Keep dreaming! _

Lavon Hayes throws back his head and laughs. "Not you, son. My gator. Burt Reynolds, go home."

Both Logan and Veronica stare in awe as the alligator turns his head and begins crawling away.

"I'm sorry. Did I just hear you right?"

"I know," Lavon lifts a hand. "Burt Reynolds is an unusual name, but my favorite movie of all time is Smoky and the Bandit."

"And I thought the words 'my alligator' was the unusual part," Logan mutters.

"He's a good boy, but he likes to play tricks on strangers when we take our walks." He grins, and his eyes crinkle up in the corners.

_ Like Wallace's. That's what's been niggling at me all evening. He reminds me a bit of Wallace. _

"So that alligator is your pet?" Logan asks. "He's never tried to eat you?"

"He's a good boy. Had him since he was this big." Lavon holds his hands about a forearm's width apart.

"Do you take him on the road with you and the team?" Veronica asks.

"Naw. My parents take care of him for me while I'm away."

"Nice of them," Logan says, in a way that actually means  _ 'crazy of them' _

"Well, I'll let you two lovebirds get back to what you were doing." Lavon drawls with a sly smile. "We were on our way back to the Rammer Jammer. The cooks leave buckets of leftovers by the back door for Burt whenever I'm in town."

Veronica peers over Logan's shoulder. "We're not lovebirds. And we weren't doing anything."

"Suuuuure you weren't." His grin widens, displaying a mouth full of teeth. "Don't explain yourself to me. Lavon Hayes is Team Logan." He tips his panama hat and follows after his pet alligator.

"Logan! He knows who we are," Veronica says, taking several steps in the direction Lavon had head.

"Yeah, I had a feeling he might." Logan says, blowing out a breath. "He doesn't seem inclined to turn us in, though." He turns and brushes loose tree bark off the back of her dress.

"That's my butt, mister." Veronica puts up a token protest, although she doesn’t mind in the least.

"Grandfathered," he answers absently, snatching his hat from the ground and returning it to his head. "Guess we should be getting back?"

Veronica holds out her hand, and after staring at it for a moment, Logan smiles and twines his fingers with hers.

The walk back to town takes twice as long as their flight from the bar, as they are in no particular hurry.

Although nobody waits outside the Rammer Jammer, they skirt far around the premises just to be safe.

A live rendition of Sheryl Crow's  ' I Shall Believe'  spills out from the open patio door, so Logan's  _ friend _  must have resumed playing after the fight. Veronica's chest tingles with the first tendrils of jealousy, and she swallows, attempting to push the sensation away.

_ He left with me. He's holding my hand. _

He’s watching her with guilty eyes, so she pulls his arm around her shoulder and leans into him. "What a night, huh?"

"It was…interesting," Logan acknowledges. "Least the fight's over."

"I'm beginning to think this 'heat wave fever' might be a real thing. I can't believe I almost punched somebody tonight."

"My fault," Logan says, "I shouldn't have tricked Tansy like that."

"Well, I shouldn't have kissed Wade, either." She tugs Logan to a stop. "Hey. Let's make a pact."

"Okay?"

"From now on, we leave other people out of our drama."

"Deal." Logan smiles at the ground before lifting his eyes to meet hers. "No matter how jealous you get."

On Main Street, they cut a diagonal path across the picturesque town square. It’s abandoned this time of night, but still well-lit.

From nearby, comes the sound of whistling.

Logan's head lifts, glancing around to identify where the sound is coming from.

To Veronica, it sounds as if it’s coming from above them. The tone is thin and reedy - most likely, a drunk - but the tune is instantly recognizable.

"That's Moon River," she says, unable to help letting out a girlish sigh.

Logan pauses to look at her, tilting his head in question.

"I was seven or eight. And my dad and mom danced around the living room to this song. They were laughing and so happy, and I thought it was the most romantic thing I'd ever seen."

Logan examines her for another moment, and then his mouth stretches into a mischievous smile, and he tugs Veronica's hand, pulling her up the two steps to the center of the gazebo.

"What are you doing?" she asks with a laugh.

He twirls her around once by the hand and then pulls her close, putting one hand on her waist. "Dancing."

"We already danced tonight."

"That was completely different," he says in a low voice. "Hey, I just thought we could tell our grandchildren someday about the time we danced in the Bluebell town square to an old drunk whistling Moon River."

" _ OUR _  grandchildren?"

"Well yeah...you could tell your grandchildren...Tom, Dick, and Harry. And I could tell my own grandchildren, Thomas, Richard and Harold. That's all I meant." Logan winks at her.

Veronica laughs. "I see what you did there."

He smiles and touched his forehead to hers.

"I know your secret, Logan," she whispers.

"I was framed."

"You're a hopeless romantic. You're an eight year old girl."

"You have no evidence of that."

She closes her eyes and presses her face to his shoulder.  _ How did Lilly ever let you get away? _  "I have to admit, when I imagined dancing with you, I never dreamed it would be anything like this."

"You imagined dancing with me?"

_ Dammit, alcohol! Why did I say that? _

"Um...you know. Maybe when I was younger. At a school dance or something."

"And am I your date at this imaginary school dance, or just a backup?"

Veronica's heart constricts.  _ You've never been the backup to me. _  She’s drunk, but not drunk enough to ever admit that to him. Especially since  _ his _ first choice had been Lilly.

A second whistler joins in from somewhere nearby, stronger and much more in tune. They laugh and move closer together.

"It's almost Homecoming back in Neptune," she says, instead of answering his question.

"Yeah? Have a hot date we need to get you back for?"

"Hardly," she snorts. "Although from the way Troy was eying those posters, I'm pretty sure he was going to ask me. How about you?"

"Caitlin. Before the whole Chardo thing. She'll probably go with Troy now. Guess that leaves us as the spares."

"Could you even imagine you and me walking into the Homecoming dance together?"

"I have a harder time with the  _ 'walking into the dance' _  part than the  _ 'you and I' _  part."

"Come on," she scoffs. "The king of the school with the town pariah?"

Logan ducks to meet her eyes. "Do you think I care what anybody else thinks?"

Veronica's breath catches. "I guess not." She squeezes his neck. Warm and solid against the palm of her hand.

"Hey Veronica."

"Huh?"

Logan flashes the puppy dog eyes. "Will you go to Homecoming with me?"

She laughs. "Right. Liam will never find us back where we started."

"I don't mean in Neptune, smarty. I mean, once we get to Florida."

_ Is he asking me out on a date? _

"We could dress up. All three of us. Go somewhere nice. Pretend to be normal for a while..." he trails off.

_ All three of us? _

_ Oh. He wants to bring Duncan along. Not a date. _

"Sounds like a blast."

_ At least I already have a dress. _

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Whippoorwill Blossom Inn**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

The room key does not want to slide into the lock. Or, more accurately, Veronica is experiencing hand/eye coordination issues. Tiny scratch marks on the antique brass highlight her failures.

"I can pick any lock. Why can't I open this one with a key?" She complains with a laugh.

"Let me try," Logan abandons his inspection of the chrome room service cart left outside their room.

Veronica turns around, pressing her back to the door and holding the key up, enticingly. "If you can get this door open within two minutes, I'll—"

She breaks off as Logan turns the doorknob and she nearly stumbles backwards into the room. He sweeps an arm around her before she can fall on her butt, pulling her snug against his chest, and she laughs again, wrapping both of her arms around his neck.

He gazes down at her in amusement from under the brim of his fedora, and she releases an appreciative sigh.

_ Damn that hat! _

_ And those eyes. Damn them, too. _

Logan reaches out to pull the room-service cart into the room and kicks the door closed behind him.

"What is that?"

"Complimentary for the newlyweds," Logan says, walking her backwards. "Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries."

Her legs bump against the mattress, and he applies gentle pressure on her hips to try to make her sit.

_ Oh no you don't. You're not putting me to bed. At least not alone. _

Veronica holds tight to Logan's neck, falling backward and pulling him on top of her.

"What are you doing, you little drunk?" Logan grins down at her.

"Who's drunk? I'm not drunk." He’s heavy above her, and she loves the feeling.

" _ Sure, _  you're not." Logan pulls up, sliding a hand under the small of Veronica's back, lifting and levering her so that her head rests on the pillow. He remains above her, but takes his weight off by shifting his left hip to the mattress.

Veronica runs her fingers along the nape of his neck, tracing the divide between his soft hair and his smooth skin.

"Whatcha doin, V?" He whispers, looking down into her eyes.

_ I believe the correct term would be 'lusting'. _

"Not much. Admiring your hat."

"This old thing?" His nose scrunches up. "This little blonde talked me into buying it."

"Do you always do what little blondes tell you to do?"

Logan's voice is soft, and slightly husky. "I'm powerless to resist."

He’s so close, and Veronica's eyes flutter closed in anticipation. The air tastes of mint when she breathes in. His air. His mint. She experiences a  _ whoosh _ in her belly and lets out a tiny hum.

Logan laughs softly, rolling onto his back, and crossing his arms under his head.

_ Seriously? _

_ Powerless to resist, my ass. _

Veronica opens her eyes, turning on her right side to face Logan. One eyebrow lifted quizzically.

"Bet you thought I was going to kiss you," Logan says, turning to face her.

"The idea occurred to me."

"Can't let that happen, can we?" His eyes lower to her mouth, while his thumb traces her bottom lip.

She closed her eyes. "Because…?"

"Because – what were your words? – I've missed my one and only chance?"

"Oh yeah."

_ I did say something like that, didn't I? _

"Unless we're trying to fake out the cops. Right?"

"Right." Veronica whispers, caught up in the cadence and rhythm of his voice.

"You sure?" Logan asks, rolling on his left side to face Veronica. "Because you look like a girl who wants to be kissed."

"Mmmm." Veronica says. "NOT kissing you is…"

"Is what?" Logan bobs his eyebrows once.

"...is...exhilarating."

"Wow!" Logan pulls away and rolls onto his back. "Way to stroke the ego, Veronica. Let me make sure I heard that correctly. You think it's exhilarating to NOT kiss me." He covers his eyes with both hands.

"That's what I said."

"Am I that bad of a kisser?" He lifts one hand to peek at her.

"No...no…" Veronica laughs softly. "That's not what I meant."

"By all means, elaborate."

"It's just..." She rolls onto her stomach to look at him, propping her chin on her hand. "You know that feeling?"

"Feeling?"

"That whoosh? Butterflies in your belly? The big drop on a roller coaster?"

Logan nods, breaking into her favorite smile. The one with the teeth. "Go on."

"So every time we almost kiss, but don't, I know I still have another roller coaster ride coming."

He nods as if he knows exactly what she’s talking about. "Anticipation is the purest form of pleasure."

"Who said that?"

"Some dude on Dawson's Creek. But it resonated with me."

_ Dawson's Creek? Of course. _

"Well there's that…" Veronica begins, a grin spreading across her face. "…plus the fact that you're a crappy kisser."

"What?" Logan's jaw drops in surprise, and then he laughs and rolls on top of her. "What?" He repeats, moving his knees to straddle her. "For that, I think I'll kiss you after all."

He puckers up exaggeratedly.

"No!" Veronica giggles.

Logan holds her wrists down gently, and kisses the tip of her nose with a loud smooching sound. He kisses her forehead, each cheek, and her chin.

Veronica laughs, trying to escape his kisses.

"Ew! Ew! Ew!" she shrieks, when he licks a stripe up her right cheek. She bucks him off with her hips. "That was so gross," she says, wiping at her cheek.

Logan sits back on his heels, laughing at her reaction.

"Jackass!"

"Why? Because I missed a spot?"

"You wish!"

He climbs out of bed, unbuckling his black leather belt. " I  wish? You were the one who was all:  'please-kiss-me-Logan ' a few times tonight." He makes kissy lips at her and steps out of his jeans, folding them neatly and laying them on the dresser. Tonight's boxers are a solid black matching his henley.

_ Nice legs. _

_ " Please kiss me Logan? _  You are so delusional."

_ Okay, so maybe I did want him to kiss me once or twice. _

_ Maybe I still do. _

_ That's a definitely. _

"I'm sorry. I'm being an ass." Logan gives her a rueful grin. "I meant what I said earlier about you being drunk. I shouldn't be teasing you like that."

"You're right about the ass part." Veronica stands and moves to the mirror near the door loosening the pins in her wig. "But I'm not drunk."

She follows his movements as he wheels the squeaky room service cart over to the side of the bed and lifts the silver cloche.

They’re at an impasse.

He isn't wrong in that she might feel differently in the morning. Were they to lock lips tonight, she  _ might _ regret it tomorrow, but she suspects it’ll be the opposite. She’s more likely to regret if they don't. Because for once, the voice in her head is silent. The voice that warns her to keep her distance and protect her heart. The voice that insists Logan will only hurt her and let her down.

Tonight, Logan is irresistible, and she only wants to be close to him.

As if he's been summoned, he approaches from behind, while she watches his eyes in the mirror.

"Peace offering?" He lifts a chocolate dipped strawberry with white chocolate swirls to her lips. She smiles and she takes a large bite.

"Heavenly!" she says, once she's had a chance to swallow.

"Thought you'd like that." Logan hands her the rest of the strawberry and returns to the room service cart.

Veronica tosses her wig on the nearby dresser, and very carefully removes the brown contact lenses, returning them to the solution-filled container inside her messenger bag. She finishes the strawberry, and throws the stem in the garbage.

The champagne opens with a loud pop, and when she glances over, Logan is drinking it straight from the bottle and staring at her oddly.

_ What's his problem? _

"Is something wrong?" she asks.

Logan doesn't answer. She finger-combs her hair in the mirror and watches him watch her.

"Why are you looking at me as if you'd seen a ghost?" she asks, moving back to kneel on the bed facing him.

Logan opens his mouth and then freezes, as if afraid to respond.

"Logan...?"

"It's just that dress you're wearing…"

Veronica glances down at her dress. White with black embroidery. A-line. Strapless. "You don't like my dress?"

"I do like it. You look very pretty. It's just that…every now and then tonight…it reminds me a lot of..." He trailes off, runs a hand through his hair.

_ When has Logan Echolls ever been afraid of confronting things head-on? _

He meets her eyes again. "I think…maybe we should talk about what happened at Shelly's party last year."

Veronica's blood turns to ice and, overcome with nausea, she flings herself towards the edge of the bed, in fear of vomiting.

_ Not Logan! Please God, not Logan! _

He’s beside her instantly, gathering her hair back from her face. Luckily, she’s able to contain the nausea to a dry heave.

"Shhhh. It's okay," he murmurs, and she’s torn between accepting his comfort and wanting to rip herself away from his touch.

_ He thought I was a virgin. How could he think I was a virgin if he'd raped me? _

Veronica inhales and exhales until the sick feeling passes. Finally, she glances back at Logan who is staring at her with compassionate eyes.

"You okay? Maybe you should eat some more."

"I think so." She leans against the headboard, breathing in and out. Centering herself. "What were you saying about Shelly's party?"

"You were pretty wasted that night. Even drunker than you are tonight."

She doesn’t correct him.

"Do you remember what we did to you?"

The nausea returns with a rush. "What do you mean,  we ?"

He examines his hands. "Me and the guys. The salt lick."

"The salt lick?" she repeats, numbly.

"Yeah…" He glances back up. "You know, lick the salt, do the shot, and then eat the lime."

She shudders. "You mean the same disgusting thing you guys did to Shelly that night at Dick's party." Logan nods, seeming unable to speak. "The same thing I ripped into you for?"

"Yes." He whispers, staring at the ceiling. "The same thing."

Her belly cramps, as if tied up in knots. "You and the boys did that to me?"

"Yes."

"You asshole!" Veronica punches him in the shoulder. Hard. Causing more pain to her hand than to him. He rubs at the spot, but doesn't complain.

She snatches the champagne from him, taking a long pull from the bottle.

"Where was the salt? On me."

"Your neck." He touches the corresponding location on his own neck.

"Which guys?"

He pauses to think for a second. "Me, Matt, Joey, and Rick."

"Dick didn't get anywhere near me, did he?" She curls her fingers around a pillow, digging in her nails.

"No, he was in the house."

She exhales in relief at that one tiny victory, and asks. "Did anybody try to take it any further than that?"

His eyes widen in surprise. "What do you mean, further?"

"Did anybody try to...touch me?"

"No." He holds up a hand in protest. "I swear! I would never let anyone..."

She nods, and takes another long swallow of champagne. It’s sweet and dry, and the bubbles make her nose scrunch up.

_ So it wasn't Logan. _

"I am so very sorry, Veronica." He ducks to look into her eyes. "I would do anything to take it back."

She stares at him for a long time, searching his eyes for the truth, and then nods. "It's okay."

Logan shakes his head. "No. It's not okay!" His voiced grows louder and cracks with emotion. "I was horrible to you, and I'm so so sorry."

"I know you are."

A snippet of a dream returns to Veronica from their first night on the run. "I think I remember something. I was on a pool lounger. I opened my eyes and you were looking down at me. And I spoke to you. Something weird."

Logan swallows hard. "Yeah..." His voice is barely above a whisper. "God I hated you in that moment."

Her gut twists as if she'd been slugged. "I thought you said you never really hated me."

"I did then."

"Why?" Her throat constricts, and she can't keep the hurt out of her voice. "What did I do?"

"Because you wouldn't hate me." Logan pulls his knees into his chest and hugs them. "Because you opened your eyes while I was trying to humiliate you, and looked at me like I was your fucking savior."

"Logan…" It hurts to breathe. How have things become so intense?

He runs his fingers through his hair again. When he meets Veronica's eyes, his own are glossy, as if holding back tears. "You looked right at me and said my eyes were like the universe."

"Well aren't I the poet?" Veronica rolls her eyes, hoping to lighten the mood.

"I think if I would have had a gun at that moment, I would have swallowed a bullet, just to get the fuck away from you."

Veronica feels as if the air has been vacuumed from her lungs. She snatches Logan's hand, and squeezes it in a death grip. "Don't  ever  say anything like that again."

He stares at the textured ceiling as if he’s looking into the past. "It was like I'd done everything I could to break you. And not only were you unbroken, you still believed there was something good left in me. Like everything I'd done was for nothing and I would never be free."

_ How did I never realize you were filled with such self-loathing? _

"Free from what?" Her voice is barely above a whisper.

"I don't even know. Whoever I used to be before Lilly died?"

"I really liked that guy."

He offers her a pained smile. "I know. Or I do now. Back then…I didn't  _ want _ to have anything good left inside."

"Why?"

Logan shrugs, avoiding her eyes again. "Who wants to live in a world where good people are punished for no reason? If that's the case, what's the point? Why even try? Or hope?"

Words completely escape her, so she simply squeezes his hand again.

"If I'm a bad person, or an asshole, or whatever, then I  _ deserve _  to be punished. You know what I mean? Then, when the bad things happen…"

"You can blame yourself and feel like in some way, you influenced the outcome," she finishes for him. "Then you have a small measure of power."

He looks at her directly, seemingly surprised by her understanding. "Yeah, exactly like that."

"So how long did the salt lick go on?"

Logan squeezes his eyes closed for a moment and inhales. "Fuck! I'm an even bigger asshole for feeling sorry for myself when you were the one who was wronged. It only lasted a few minutes before Duncan came over and broke it up."

"Duncan? " She can't keep the surprise out of her voice. "He actually acknowledged my existence?"

"Yeah, and I hated him too in that moment. I mean, not really. But..."

"But what?"

"I just didn't get it. All those months of acting like the injured party, and then suddenly he wanted to play the white knight for you again?"

Veronica shakes her head. Who knew what Duncan was thinking half the time?

"I hated him. And then I felt so guilty for hating my best friend. He'd been so miserable. Hadn't smiled since Lilly's death. So you wouldn't believe what I did."

A knot forms in her throat. "What?"

"I dosed him."

Veronica froze. "You did what?"

_ He can't really be saying what I think he's saying. _

Logan looks miserable again. "I dosed my best friend. I picked up a drink, and poured a dose of GHB in it. I thought if I could just make him smile again…"

"You dosed Duncan." she repeats, numbly. "Are you sure that he drank the drink himself?"

"Yeah. I watched him drink it."

"Who else did you dose, Logan?"

Logan glances up, surprised by the ice in her voice. "Believe it or not, Veronica, I don't make a habit of drugging my friends. That was the first time ever. And the last."

He tugs the ends of his sleeves down over his knuckles. "I ended up taking home this freshman named Cindy." He spares a guilty glance at Veronica, and it seems like a year since their conversation by the tree where she'd asked him to stop rubbing other girls in her face. "But I couldn't stop thinking about it all night. When I wasn't thinking about what I did to you, that is. What if Duncan had tried to drive home fucked up? I could have gotten him killed. You know?"

She nods. "Why did you have GHB anyway?"

"It's Liquid X. Ecstasy. We picked it up in TJ. We were supposed to go to this rave in the desert, but it ended up being canceled."

"And you used it all up on Duncan?"

"No." He shakes his head. "I didn't need it anymore, so I gave the other vial to that asshole - what's his name – Thad Wilson?"

"We?" She backtracks to his earlier comment. "Who was there when you bought these drugs?"

"Me, Luke Haldeman and Sean Friedrich. We all bought some."

"Did they still have their drugs at the party?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Just curious."

Logan looks at her doubtfully, and she worries that she may have overplayed her hand. She’s not ready to discuss her rape. Isn't sure if she ever will be.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I ran into Luke when I was leaving, and he was ranting something about Madison being a raging bitch even after he'd given his GHB to her and Dick."

_ Madison? Did she drug me? Why would she do that? _

"Veronica, I am so very sorry we did that to you. I would do anything in the world to take it back."

Logan had been a complete asshole that night, but Veronica feels with a near certainty that he hadn't been the one to rape her. He obviously has no idea what had happened to her.

"I believe you. And I forgive you. I'm going to choose to think of it as a not-real thing"

Logan squeezes his eyes closed in relief, and Veronica leans into him, wrapping one of her arms around his back. With her free hand, she takes another sip of champagne.

Thad Wilson. Scumbag asshole. Had he been the one who raped her? Or was it Sean Friedrich? Another asshole, but she'd always thought he was gay. Luke Haldeman didn't seem aggressive, but you can never tell, and Dick is a definite possibility, depending on whether he or Madison had possession of the drugs.

Logan holds out a hand for the champagne bottle, and takes a long chug when she hands it to him. She watches his Adam's apple as he swallows.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness," he says, in a quiet voice. "I knew how you felt about it."

She wished he would drop it already.

He isn't that asshole anymore. He’s the guy who'd thrown away everything in his life to keep her and Duncan safe. The guy who'd stood between her and the Fitzpatricks at least three times. The guy who'd held her every night to keep the nightmares away. He was…amazing.

She doesn't  _ want _  to remember that other guy. The kind of guy who would dose his best friend and use her as a salt lick. It makes her uncomfortable to remember him that side of him, so she would rather forget about it altogether than to discuss it anymore.

She scoots over to face him again, kneeling and sitting back on her heels.

"Well, you have my forgiveness anyway. Do you regret what you did?"

"You know I do." He’s still hugging his knees, but sighs and straightened each leg out in a vee shape around Veronica.

"Will you ever do something like that again?"

"Never." He shakes his head.

"Thank you for coming clean. It had to be hard to do that."

"Quit worrying about me. All that matters is how you feel."

"Okay. Well how I feel is that I want to drop the subject."

She wraps her arms around Logan burying her face in his shoulder. Her cheek presses against the smooth skin of his neck and she inhales his clean scent.

He squeezes her back tightly, and she shifts onto her left hip, allowing her to lean against his chest.

Logan lifted the bottom hem of her dress and runs his thumb over the tulle underskirt. "What's wrong with your dress? It feels like one of those pot scrubber things"

"You've never scrubbed a pot in your life, and it's the netting to make the skirt stick out. It's itchy and torturous," Veronica says.

"So...we're okay?" he asks after a moment.

"Yeah..." She presses a kiss to his cheek. "We're okay."

"And _ you're _  okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm glad we had this conversation." She takes the bottle from his hand, taking a small swig.

"Me too. I guess confession is good for the soul"

"You have a soul?" Veronica jokes.

He touches his forehead to hers again. "You're cute."

"I know."

He pulls back to stare into her eyes. "I'll make it up to you. I promise. Everything. Not just Shelly's party."

"You saved my life. That's a good start."

"We're far from even, though. How can I make things up to you?"

She smirks. "I'll think of something."

"You want that massage you didn't actually win, huh?" Both hands move to rest lightly on her hips.

"Another day. You want that kiss you did win?"

Logan flashes a smug grin. "Another day."

_ Damn him. _

_ Stubborn boy. _

She still wants to kiss him. Ever since she'd pressed her lips to the pulse in his neck on the dance floor, she hasn't been able to stop thinking about if for more than a few minutes at a time.

She hugs him again, pressing her right cheek against his left.

_ Now, if I just pull back a millimeter at a time, in a moment our lips will be so close that… _

She hadn't noticed Logan's hands surreptitiously moving to her waist, until he curls his fingers and…tickles her under the ribs.

Veronica lets out a scream and leaps off the bed. "Oh, it is  so  on!"

Logan rolls off the other side, leaving the bed in between them. He beckons at her with both hands. "Bring it."

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Whippoorwill Blossom Inn**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

"So should I be naked or something?" AnnaBeth asks in her soft drawl.

Duncan freezes. "Naked?" He swallows hard.

"Well...I just thought you must be accustomed to nude models – being in art school and all."

"Oh. Right. Art school." He lets out the breath he was holding, and uses the side of his thumb to smudge the stray mark on his sketch pad where his pencil had slipped at her question. "No, you're fine as you are. I'm sketching you from the neck up."

"Well that's a relief," Annabeth says with a nervous laugh. "I would have tried to brave it out, but…"

He finishes the outline of her face, and sketches a few guidelines for the positioning of her features.

"I would never ask you to do something you weren't comfortable with."

_ Never. As if there might be future opportunities for being gentlemanly. _

Duncan nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of a loud bang on the wall.

"Is that your sister?" AnnaBeth asks.

_ You don't know the half of it. _ "That's her room."

More banging. Loud shrieking laughs and running feet.

"Are they always that noisy?"

_ It's been several years, but I think I recognize those sounds. _

"They're having a tickle fight. They used to do that all the time."

"At one in the morning?"

Duncan shrugs. "They've had a lot to drink. What? Why are you smiling?"

AnnaBeth shakes her head. "It's sweet. Having that much fun together is a good sign for a healthy marriage."

_ Marriage? _

_ Oh yeah, the ever-changing cover story. _

Is AnnaBeth on to something?

Back when he'd dated Veronica, they'd never played like kids. She was small and delicate, and he'd been afraid of breaking her.

He'd always cringed and winced when Logan hadn't treated her with the same kid gloves, thinking nothing of wrestling with her or tossing her into the pool.

Tonight, however, at the pond, Duncan had played with Annabeth. 

He can't think of a time since…ever…when he'd let himself go like that.

Maybe it’s another sign that he should stay. In this town. With this girl.

He roughly sketches AnnaBeth's features, while she fills him in on her background. High school. Her lifelong friendship with Lemon Breeland. Her long term relationship with the unworthy Jake Nass. Coming in as runner-up to Lemon in the Miss Cider Cinnamon Pageant.

He tries envisioning his own life in Bluebell.

He's never really cared about money or material possessions, and the seven thousand they'd withdrawn from his account before leaving town should be enough to rent a studio apartment for a few months.

_ I have no job skills, but maybe I could bag groceries, or deliver pizzas. _

_ Or I could learn a skill through some kind of apprenticeship. _

He imagines the alternative - continuing on with Logan and Veronica. The yacht idea is only temporary because eventually, Aaron will want to use his boat. All three of them need to find jobs before coming up with a more permanent solution.

Can he live in such tight quarters with his ex-girlfriend/sister who he still loves but can never again touch? Can he deal with their near constant squabbles when they never allow him to referee?

On the other hand, Annabeth just doesn't seem like the type to invite drama into her life. Her calm presence soothes him.

More bangs and shrieks – Logan this time – comes from the room next store, and Duncan can't help but snort with laughter.

  


 

 

* * *

**Day Seven**  
**Whippoorwill Blossom Inn**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

"Now who's in control?" Veronica straddles Logan's hips, scowling down like a tiny conquering warrior.

"I'm peeing my pants in terror."

"Don't underestimate me, punk." She yanks his right arm to his side, kneeling on the forearm, as she already is for the left one. "I've been described in some parts as pretty fierce."

_ And that's what I love most about you. _

"I think I remember the guy who said that. Tall? Devastatingly good looking?"

"Mostly arrogant."

Convinced she has him pinned, Veronica launches her tickle assault on his ribs.

Thing is…Logan doesn't have a ticklish bone in his body. After a lifetime of withstanding discomfort, he’s a pro at controlling his body's responses. But that’s was one secret Veronica will never know. As far as she’s concerned, he’s  exceptionally  ticklish.

His laughter isn't entirely faked, either. The sight of Veronica's trademark determined expression – biting down on her lower lip – has always been enough material enough for the laughing fits he'd put on for her and Lilly.

_ Or maybe I was afraid she would stop rolling around with me if she knew it wasn't having any effect on me. Not the kind she was aiming for at least. _

Tickle fights are serious business to Veronica. Though she lacks brute strength, she’s strong for her size, and more than makes up the difference with trickery and use of leverage.

iSo he writhes and giggles and puts on a convincing performance of trying to escape her flying fingers for several minutes before using his greater strength to flip her onto her back.

He captures both wrists with one hand above her head, careful not to squeeze too tightly in deference to her experience with Fitzpatrick.

"My turn!"

Veronica's eyes widen at her predicament, and her last words are "You will wish you'd never been born", before he begins tickling her mercilessly.

He’s well acquainted with her M.O. – twisting and squirming, trying to wiggle a knee up between their bodies, hooking her leg around his in an attempt to flip him, and – the worst – pressing her thumbs to the tender area on the inside of his wrist. He lets her get away with all of it. This is her game.

Veronica laughs hysterically, finally relenting and begging for mercy.

"You give?"

She puts up a bit more resistance before narrowing her eyes at him. "Fine. I give."

This is to be expected, also. Veronica is notorious for playing possum. Claiming she's had enough until the moment you’ve lowered your guard.

Logan climbs off and stretches out, curling up against her side and resting his head on her bare shoulder. Her skin is soft on his cheek and still smells faintly of something sweet.

He savors the quiet moment, remaining still and listening as her breathing slows back to normal.

"I've missed this." He tilts his face to meet her eyes. "When did we stop playing this way?"

_ When she started dating Duncan and suppressing her real personality. _

Her shoulder lifts under his face, in what he assumes was a shrug. "When we started getting our grown-up parts?"

Logan hooks a finger in Veronica's neckline, pretending to peek down the front of her dress. "Veronica, I hate to break it to you, but…"

"You ass!" Veronica yells, shoving Logan over onto his back and straddling him again. "Now you're really going to suffer."

"I  _ am _ suffering!" he protests. "Your dress is a Brillo pad making a thousand little scratches on my delicate, privileged, skin."

"Try having to wear it, Jackass. In fact, I'm done." Veronica climbs out of bed and proceeds to stagger around the room trying to pull her dress over her head, and not giving a damn that she’s exposing her underwear.

Logan's jaw goes slack. "Veronica, what the hell are you doing?"

"Fertility dance?" She peeks over the material. "What do you think I'm doing? Trying to get this itchy dress off. Forgive my lack of modesty, but since we don't have a bathroom in our room…"

Logan jumps up. "Hey! Stay still before you trip and hurt yourself." He puts a hand on her shoulder to steady her, and uses the other to work the stuck zipper, helping Veronica shimmy the garment over her head, and draping it neatly on the dresser.

Veronica's padded strapless bra is white with tiny embroidered roses and matching underwear. The perfect mix of innocence and sexiness – old Veronica plus new. Impulsively, he places the fedora on her head.

He intends to sit back down on the bed, but it’s more like falling. Her perfection makes it impossible to breathe.

"Marry me," he says quietly, repeating the first words he'd ever spoken to her.

"Ask me again in…" Veronica begins, according to script. She glances at her hand, and then inhales. "Logan! My ring! I mean...your mom's ring. It's not here."

"Relax." Logan stands, reaching for his jeans and pulling the ring from the pocket where he'd stashed it earlier. "See? It's right here."

"Oh, thank god." She lets out her breath.

On a whim, Logan drops to his knees in front of Veronica, reaching for her left hand. Looking up into her eyes, he slides the diamond onto her finger.

"Will you marry me, Victoria Marshall?"

He’s only having fun – play acting – but still, something flutters deep inside him.

They’re young, still not much more than children, but somehow the idea of attaching himself permanently to Veronica doesn't seem like too horrible a prospect.

_ If she would only give me a chance. _

Veronica gasps and brings her free hand to her heart in exaggerated shock. "Oh Nolan! Do you really mean it?" She slips into her ditzy girl persona.

Logan nods, a slow smile creeping across his face.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" She bounces on her toes. "Of course I'll marry you, Nolan!"

He snickers at her overacting.

"We'll have a June Wedding! Some place huge to accommodate all of my close friends from the yacht club. I'll wear white, and hell, you can wear white, too! And my plastic surgeon dad can walk me down the aisle," she continues in a breathless ramble.

"You can offer nose jobs as wedding favors!" Logan says. "Since mine was so successful."

"I love the way you think. That way, all our wedding photos will be absolutely perfect."

Logan squeezes her hand. "Anything for you, Bridezilla."

Most of her bruising has faded by now, but one large black and blue mark on her right ribcage remains. He winces and hovers his fingertip over it. "Does it still hurt?"

"Barely. Maybe it's a bit tender."

He leans in, pressing his lips softly to the discoloration, and then looks up into her eyes.

He still can't believe Liam Fitzpatrick had hurt her right in front of him, and he'd been powerless to stop the jacked up meth head.

Veronica must see the guilt in his eyes, because she strokes his hair and stares down at him compassionately.

_ I'll kill that fucker before he ever hurts you again. _

Their vehicle should be ready around 11:30 or so tomorrow morning. He’ll make sure they were doubly careful once they’re back on the road again.

"So hey, we just got engaged," Veronica says with a soft smile. "Isn't it tradition for us to kiss now?"

_ If this were real, we'd probably do a lot more than kiss. _

He glances around the room and then back up at Veronica with a sad expression. "Sorry, no cops here. Now put some clothes on."

Logan stands, kissed her cheek, and flops dramatically on the bed, reaching for the champagne bottle and taking a long gulp.

_ Cheap, but it does the job. _

"We really need to coach Duncan on his lying skills," Veronica says, fiddling with something inside her bag. "The plastic surgeon thing was only the beginning of his spiral of lies tonight."

"I think he gets a cheap thrill making up stories."

"Guess it's better than a drag racing."

Logan props himself up with one of the pillows and snatches a chocolate covered strawberry.

Guilt niggles at him for taking a second one. These are his mother's favorites, but she only ever allowed herself one. _'_ _ Have to keep my figure for my auditions'  _ she always said .  He wishes she could experience as much pleasure from food as Veronica does. He wished she would find a career that wouldn't make her so miserable.

_ And a man that wouldn't make her so miserable, while she's at it. _

An old clock radio sits on the nightstand, and Logan switches on the FM radio, fiddling with the dial. He bypasses a handful of country and religious songs, before finally settling on a channel playing Radiohead's  _ 'Creep' _ .

"That's not the underwear I set out for you last night before I put our bags in the truck."

_ They are so much hotter. _

"Nope. They're new. Strapless dresses require strapless bras, and the bra came with the undies." Veronica turns around searching the room with her eyes, and her underwear – Lilly used to call them boy shorts – cut horizontally, exposing the bottom third of her butt.

Logan's dick twitches, and he crossed his legs to hide it. "You'd better cover that ass, or I'm gonna bite it."

Veronica glances at him over her shoulder. "Of all the threats you could make, including grabbing, fondling, and groping, you choose to go with biting?"

"What can I say? I like to use my teeth." Logan makes an audible biting gesture at her.

"I know. I saw your sex tape."

_ Still can't believe that happened. Fucking Dad! _

"Was that your favorite part?" he asks – opting for flattery over embarrassment and fully prepared for her to blow him off like the last several times the subject came up.

Veronica turns back, a faint smirk on her lips, and looks him straight in the eyes. "Yes."

_ Fuck. _

_ FUCK! _

Logan bites his lip to stifle a groan. Crossing his legs isn't going to work anymore, so he grabs the second pillow and shoves it on his lap.

_ It has to be Heat Wave Fever. Alcohol makes her affectionate, but not brazen. _

Veronica sighs and flops onto bed next to him, her forearm over her eyes. "Our bags are still in the truck. I have nothing to wear."

"Then put that dress back on." Logan says.

_ PLEASE put the dress back on. _

"You wear it. It's torture." She rubs at invisible scratches on the front of her thigh.

_ No, THIS is torture. _

"What about the tee shirt and shorts you had on earlier?"

_ Is she doing this on purpose? _

"Left them in the truck."

"You were in the truck and didn't get our stuff?"  _ So…premeditated torture? _

Veronica frowns. "The garage was closed. Lemon called and demanded that Rusty come back and unlock it – she's a force of nature, by the way – so I just grabbed the shoes and skedaddled so that he could get back to his evening."

"Well, you can't sleep in your underwear."

"They're boy shorts and you sleep in your underwear every night. Besides, it's nothing you haven't seen before. A few times."

"Yeah, but not like this. Not in bed, where I can touch you."

The song ends and a stripped down cover of  _ 'Wonderwall' _  came on the radio. He tilts his head, unfamiliar with this version.

"Ryan Adams," Veronica supplies.

"Oh."

Ever since he'd cleaned her wounds from Liam, he hasn't stopped thinking about the way she'd reacted to his touch – as if she hadn't been touched in years.

_ Fuck! I'm going touch her now. _

Logan rolls onto his side, keeping the pillow between them, and skims three fingers over her bare belly.

Her skin is butter soft, and her abdominal muscles contract under the pads of his fingers.

Maybe it was the dreamy expression on her face, maybe the languid quality of the music, the champagne, or maybe even heat wave fever, but everything feels surreal.

"What are you doing?" Her voice is powder soft.

_ Torturing myself? _

_ Torturing you? _

He props himself up with his elbow, a tiny smile on his lips. "I love watching you shiver when I touch you."

"Ego boost? Cause no girl can resist your magic hands?"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's all about you."

He outlines her ribs and circles her belly button with the pads of his fingers, and Veronica responds to every touch with faint tremors.

"Is this okay?"

Other than one barely perceptible nod, she remains still, gaze locked on his and skin gleaming in the glow from the bedside table lamp. "Is that glitter?" He asks, tapping her shoulder.

"Body lotion. Has a hint of shimmer."

"I like it. Is that where the marshmallow smell comes from?" He presses his lips to her nearest shoulder and gently massages the other one for a moment before moving on, stroking her neck, her sternum, exploring the hollows of her collarbone.

"Uh-huh."

Another examination of her face shows no indication she wants him to stop touching her, so he allows his fingers to drift lower to the lacy edging of her bra.

Veronica's breathing quickens, and her chest lifts and falls. She closes her eyes and bites her bottom lip as he traces along the edge of the fabric over the small swells of her breasts.

_ You're playing with fire, dude. Don't do something stupid. _

Logan exhales hard and moves his hand back to the (relative) safety of her stomach.

Nobody has ever responded to his touch like this before, and his 'magic fingers' have nothing – or very little – to do with it.

They'd all four been 'touchers' back before everything went to hell. Lilly and Veronica always huddled together, laughing and whispering. The wrestling and tickle fights. Squeezing onto the small poolhouse couch to watch movies, legs tangled and elbows in inconvenient places. Puppy piles and group hugs.

Touching had been an integral part of Veronica's life.

Until it wasn't anymore. Until the day it was all gone. Duncan iced over, Lilly died, Logan himself turned enemy, and her mother bailing in the middle of the night.

And nobody touched Veronica anymore.

Well, Mr. Mars probably still did, but he was always out of town or working late hours. Logan knew, because he'd kept tabs on her.

She hadn't dated after Duncan until last week when she'd gone out with Vandegraff. She didn't even have any friends until she'd met that Wally dude. She'd been utterly alone.

_ And I'm partially responsible. _

His stomach knots up with guilt. "I am so sorry," he whispers.

Veronica opens her eyes. "Don't be. I told you it's okay."

He doesn't correct her assumption. Simply skims his fingers along the inside curve of her waist, causing her to tremble.

She'd admitted back in Arizona that Duncan had never taken it further than kissing, which seems crazy knowing what he knows now. With a girl as passionate as Veronica, Duncan must have exerted all his will into making things  _ not _ happen.

"Duncan is a fucking idiot," he says, barely recognizing his own voice.

_ I sound like a twelve year old. _

"Why?" Hers isn't sounding very Veronica-like either.

"If you were mine, I would never want to take my hands off of you."

Veronica stares at him with heavy-lidded eyes, chest rising and falling with each breath, lips parting just enough that he could glimpse gleaming white teeth.

_ Hell, maybe you are mine. _

He still has no idea where they stand after tonight. Or…he knows where  he  stands. He'd taken a leap of faith, passing up temporary gratification with Chessie for the tiniest chance of creating something meaningful with Veronica.

She, on the other hand, has pretty much confirmed that she feels  something  for him.

_ But on a scale of mild interest to all-consuming passion, that 'something' could fall anywhere in between. _

He gauges her reaction as he touches her left knee. Far from objecting, she slides her heel up the mattress until her knee is bent, and shifts slightly onto her right hip, angling towards him.

Logan's fingers trail up the outside of her thigh to her hip and Veronica shivers uncontrollably, closing her eyes and arching her neck.

He runs his thumb over one of the tiny embroidered rosebuds on her hip. Scratches at another one with the edge of his fingernail.

Veronica's second knee lifts, pale thigh gliding across the first before stretching out flat again.

_ I bet I could make her come simply by playing connect the dots. _

_ Fuck! She's going to feel my hard- on right through the pillow. _

"I have to go…" he said, snatching his hand back. "…take a shower. And stuff."

"Don't leave me alone tonight." Veronica grabs his wrist, her eyes imploring. "Can't you take one in the morning?"

_ Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! _

"Okay." He exhales. "Sure."

She smiled in relief and relaxed, pressing her shoulder blades into the mattress in a not-so-subtle invitation to touch her again.

Logan swallows hard and jerks his gaze away from her breasts.

_ Is there anywhere safe to look? _

_ Dammit! _

"Up, Veronica."

"Huh?"

Logan rolls onto his knees, tugging Veronica's hand to pull her up as well.

"What are you doing?"

"Something I'm sure I'll regret."

She arches an eyebrow.

"If I'm going to stay in the room right now, you need clothing." He sits back on his heels, and reaches over his shoulder, tugging his black henley off in a single motion. "You can wear this." He holds out the shirt, and pulls part of the blanket over his lap for camouflage.

Veronica's eyes widen, sweeping over his chest and abs with an approving glint.

Instead of taking the shirt, she throws her arms around his neck and pressed tightly against him.

Bare skin touches bare skin in way too many places – legs, bellies, chests. Warm, bare skin.

_ Fuck. My. Life. _

"Veronica?" He chokes out. "What are you doing?" Not sure where to place his hands, he settles on grasping his own forearms against her lower back.

_ No. That is NOT a lead pipe in my pocket. Why aren't you pulling away in disgust? _

"Hugging you," she says. "Why not? We're friends."

_ Friends. Right. _

_ Of course she's curious. She's never been undressed with a mostly naked guy before. Why wouldn't she be curious to feel skin on skin? _

Her cheek presses to his upper chest, shallow breaths tickling his flesh, as her fingers drew circles on the small of his back.

Logan squeezes his eyes closed, buries his face in coconut scented hair and prays for this to end.

_ Sooner, rather than later. _

_ Or…never would be good, too. _

He searches his brain for unappealing images.  _ Naked grandmothers. Fiery car crashes. _  Anything to take his mind off his erection and its proximity to Veronica's body.

She stirs, and he drops his arms heavily to his sides, but instead of releasing him, Veronica holds tight, lifting her face to his neck. Soft lips press to his neck once, twice, three times. She kisses his skin again. Open mouthed and wet.

Logan inhales sharply.

_ Fuck it. She's not afraid of my cock, why should I be? _

He can't not touch her anymore. Up and down her spine. Under her bra strap, over her shoulders, the side of her breast, neck and hair and legs.

He curls his hands around the back of her smooth thighs and at her rough intake of breath – God help him – slides them over her ass, gripping and pulling her hips snugly against his.

Veronica lets out a quiet moan and clutches him more tightly.

_ She's going to kill me. _

"Veronica?"

"Hmmm?"

"This isn't a hug."

She laughs, slides her hands over his own ass, and squeezes.

Logan jerks away as if burned, yanking the pillow back in front of his lap.

Veronica smirks at him. "Grandfathered," she says, tilting her head and raising one eyebrow.

_ Funny. Real funny. _

"I am going to fuck you so hard someday," he promises. "After you get around to seducing me."

"Still on that kick?" Veronica fakes a yawn. "You can't possibly believe I'll ever do that."

"I'm pretty sure you're doing that right now. Or trying to. Alright drunk girl, hands up."

"Why?"

"To put this on." He wiggles the shirt at her in reminder.

Veronica sighs and lifts both of her arms over her head, a position that displays her cleavage enticingly.

"Fuck me!" he mutters, snatching the fedora off her head and tossing it to the nightstand, before maneuvering the material over her head.

She slips her hands through the sleeves and blows a loose strand of hair off her face before glancing down at the Henley. "You looked nice tonight. I always liked you best in black."

He can't hold back the smug grin. "I know."

Veronica pushes up her overlong sleeves, but they slip right back down again, sized for much thicker arms than her own.

"Here," Logan says, placing her hand on the pillow and going to work rolling up her sleeves.

"How do you know?"

Logan pauses to tilt his head in question. "How much have you had to drink? You have to remember the Great Logan Debate of '02. Where you and Lilly decided I wasn't qualified to dress myself." Five rolls, and the sleeves – although bulky – manage to stay up on her forearms.

"When we dragged you to Nordstrom's and made you try on a bunch of clothes?"

"Yeah. Lilly tried to dress me in oranges and greens, and you kept trying to steer me to black or white."

"I remember you working it like Zoolander, and the salespeople hiding their laughter because they weren't sure if you actually were that arrogant." Veronica laughs at the memory. "Is this one of the shirts you bought that day?"

Logan nods. "Lots of guys are dressed by their girlfriends, but not so many guys can claim to be dressed by their best friend's girlfriend."

She smiled softly. "Now that I think about it, you've been wearing a lot more black lately. Is that on purpose?"

Logan looks down at his hands, slightly embarrassed because – although they'd been enemies upon leaving Neptune a week ago – he had still packed his suitcase with her preferences in mind. "Maybe." He flops back down on the pillow and stretches out.

_ Damn. Please don't notice the tent in my boxers. _

Before she has the chance to, he snatches her hand and pulls her down onto his chest.

She lands with a small laugh, and lifts up to look at his face.

"You look good in black, too," Logan says.

"Thank you."

"But you know what you look better in?" He rolls onto his left side, bringing her with him so they’re still face to face.

"Hmm…?"

He slips his hand under her shirt, squeezing her bottom, and she breathes in sharply.

"White." He kisses her forehead. "With." Kisses her chin. "Tiny." Kisses her cheek. "Rosebuds." He finishes with a kiss to the tip of her nose.

Veronica smiles, and grabs a handful of his own butt.

She laughs at his hard inhale. "If you get grabby, then I can get grabby."

"I'm sorry." He moves his hand to her upper back. "I'll be a perfect gentleman."

"Please don't."

Their eyes meet, and Logan is the one to look away.

He pulls her closer, nuzzling her neck, and she makes a happy little humming sound.

Quietly, she asks, "Can I touch you too?"

"God, yes. Any time."

Veronica's hand lifts, tentatively touching his chest. When nothing disastrous happens, she became emboldened, fingers splaying, gliding over his skin.

"How come you don't shiver when I touch you?"

_ Same reason I'm not ticklish. Thanks, Dad. _

"Touch me a little lower and I'll get all kinds of shivery." He waggles his eyebrows.

"Perv!" Veronica rolls her eyes and shoved at his chest.

Logan snickers, and brings his forehead down to touch hers. "I'm conditioned to being touched."

Her smile fades, and she breaks off eye contact.

_ Fuck. Get it through your head, dumbass. She doesn't want to hear about other girls. _

He touches her cheek. "By all the wrong people."

"Man whore."

"Yeah," he agrees, quietly. "But I don't want to be anymore."

Veronica's eyes follow the path of her hand over the curve of his shoulder. "Logan Echolls, a monk? I'll believe it when I see it."

"You're a comedian. What I'm saying is that one girl is enough for me."  _ The right girl. _ "And hey, even if I don't shiver, it still feels amazing to be touched by you?"

"Amazing?" Her grin returns. "How about this?" Her hand circles around to his back, thumbing each knob of his spine.

"Better than amazing." He closes his eyes, running his fingers through her silky hair, and inches even closer so their noses nearly touch.

"And this?" She whispers and traces the edges of his shoulder blades.

"So good."

Logan edges his knee forward – between hers – and within moments, their legs are tangled and their hips are flush.

_ Fuck! _

_ Too damn close! _

She’s burning hot between her thighs and he lets out a moan when they squeeze down on his leg.

Veronica snickers. "What?"

_ Nothing. Just having inappropriate thoughts about your inner thigh muscles and all the ways they could squeeze me. _

"This is wrong, Veronica," he says unconvincingly.

"Hugging my oldest friend?"

"Hugging?" He snorts. "We're still calling this hugging?"

"What do you call it?"

_ Masochism. _ "I can't be sure, but it feels a lot more like making out."

"Making out?" she scoffs. "We haven't even kissed."

"Whatever you want to believe, Veronica."

A scratch on the back of his calf reminds him that she’s still wearing her shoes. He rolls away and sits up, running a hand over his face.

Logan grabs the bottle from the nightstand and takes a sip of champagne, then hands the glass bottle to Veronica, and crawls to the bottom of the bed.

"If you're trying to seduce me," he says with a lift of his eyebrows, "You should probably keep wearing heels to bed."

Veronica sips from the bottle and stares at him while he unbuckles the ankle strap from her left shoe, tossing it to the floor and tickling his fingers over her sole.

"Ass," she laughs, nudging him in the gut with the toe of her other shoe.

Logan smiles, capturing her tiny foot and trapping it against him.

He takes his time unbuckling the leather ankle strap, examining her face. She seems content, almost playful.

_ She's still biding her time, waiting for my guard to be lowered. _

The shoe thumps hitting the floor, and he presses both thumbs into the bottom of her foot, rubbing and kneading until Veronica's eyes roll back into her head and she makes little sounds of pleasure.

_ God, she's so beautiful, it almost hurts. _

"Okay, that's enough." He presses a kiss to her instep and releases her foot. "You'd have me doing that for hours if you had your way."

Veronica sighs tragically. "Well…now that you've lost your usefulness…"

She attacks. Both feet press to his sides, tickling him with her toes.

Logan giggles and squirms and 'plays ticklish' for several minutes, before pinning her legs to the mattress and pouncing on her.

"Hi." He grins down at her.

Her lips stretch into a wide, flirtatious smile. "Hi."

Disarmed by her grin, Logan finds himself being rolled onto his back and straddled by Veronica.

_ So much for getting my junk under control. _

She grasps his wrists tightly and holds them to his side. "Haven't you ever learned? You can't beat me, Echolls."

"Dominant bitch," he says affectionately.

Veronica opens her mouth wide in indignation. "I'd punch you for that, but somehow, I think you meant it as a compliment."

"You should know me by now. I never could resist a bitchy woman."

"And dominant?"

He raises an eyebrow and nods towards her body. "Well, you obviously like being on top." Her knees are close enough that he can just reach them from where his wrists are being held down. He spreads his fingers wide, curling them around the fronts, and rubs small semi-circles with his thumbs. "And it's really fucking hot."

Veronica smiles and loosens her hold. "You think I'm hot?"

He rolls his eyes. "Are you seriously asking me that? How could you even ask that? I'm as hard as titanium for fuck's sake."

She doesn't blush - she nearly never does anymore - simply glances away, staring at a framed floral print on the wall that’s far too mediocre for such an intense inspection.

_ She's probably doing multiplication tables or something in her head to keep her composure. _

"For the record…" he says, tugging his wrists free from her grasp. "I, Logan Echolls think you, Veronica Mars are super-hot." His hands crawl slowly up the front of her thighs, gently massaging her smooth flesh with his fingertips. "I thought so when we were twelve, I think so now, and I'll probably think so when we're eighty-five."

Veronica's eyes - heavy lidded and dazed - track the moment of his hands on her legs, her chest rising and falling in time with her labored breathing.

"You're hot in your wigs and your colored contacts. Long hair. Short hair. Blonde. Brunette. Black hair. I don't trust myself to even think about how you looked in your plaid skirt and knee socks, because every time I do, I get painfully hard. Does that answer your question?"

Veronica seems to shake herself out of her daze. She lifts her eyes to the ceiling and taps her chin as if debating her answer. "Actually, it doesn't. I'm going to need you to spell it out a little more clearly."

She smiles then - cocky and challenging - and Logan finds himself mirroring the expression. His heart flutters, and his pulse races.

_ She is so perfect for me. We'll never be bored. If there's ever an 'us'. _

He smooths his palms around the outside of her legs, gently squeezing the back of her thighs.

Veronica exhales sharply, and leans forward. Her hands come down on either side of his face, and her short hair momentarily grazes his cheek as she shifts her weight and presses her face into his neck.

"You. Are. So. Fucking. Hot." Logan whispers in her ear, catching her earlobe between his teeth.

Veronica's responds with a whimper and, surprising even him, rocks herself against him.

His vision flashes white, and it seems like somebody else's hands cupping her ass and dragging her across his erection again as his hips lift to meet her halfway.

They both moan.

Veronica rocks again, and for a minute, Logan looses his mind as they push/pull against each other feverishly. He’s sitting up – trying to find her mouth – when he comes to his senses.

_ What the hell am I doing? _

Instead, he ducks his head, pressing his face into her shoulder. Wraps both arms around her back and hugs tightly.

He remains in that position, heart pounding, pulse leaping out of his throat, chest heaving in synch with Veronica's.

_ It's never been like this before. _

As much as he'd loved Lilly – as fiery and passionate as they'd been – things had never been this intense. Maybe because they'd never had to practice restraint, or maybe because she liked to keep sex separate from emotions. But emotions are in full effect tonight, and he’s trying his damndest to exercise restraint.

Without thinking, Logan gently bites down on her shoulder, and she responds by gasping and grinding down on him again. His arms tighten, holding her still, and he pulls back to look at her.

"If you keep that up, one – or both – of us are going to end up getting off."

Veronica glances at his lips. "Sounds delightful."

The air whooshes out of his lungs.  _ Jesus Fucking Christ . _

"So...if you have an orgasm rubbing yourself on my dick, how can you keep lying to yourself in the morning?"

"Lying about what?"

"That you're not attracted to me."

"Who's lying? I've never denied being attracted to you."

All prepared to make his next point, he has to pause. "Wait...What?"

She glances up as if reciting something she'd thought about before. "I mean there's nothing to be ashamed of. Something about your chemicals sets off something with my chemicals. Or pheromones, or something."

"You're trying to blame this on science?" he asks, incredulously.

"What do you call it?"

He drops his gaze and mumbles, "Magic."

She snorts. "Magic? You're such a drama queen."

"Veronica, it's never been like this before. This is magic."

"Or maybe our pheromones are just stronger together," she says, and he can tell she’s just busting his balls now.

Logan shakes his head, sadly. "Ever the romantic."

"What does romance have to do with anything?" She grins mischievously and kisses the corner of his mouth.

He leans his forehead against hers. "This is so wrong."

She pulls back enough to look into his eyes. "Why is it so wrong? If we were already supposedly making out…" she brushes her fingers across his cheek, "then why don't we go ahead and…you know… _ actually _  make out?"

Logan swallows hard. "Because we can't. Because this isn't you. This is Drunk Veronica. Or Heat Wave Fever Veronica."

Her eyes darken. "Don't stop there, Logan. You forgot  _ Inexperienced-Veronica _ _,_ or  _ Not-Lilly-Veronica _ _._ "

_ What the fuck does Lilly have to do with anything? _

Logan sweeps her soft hair off her forehead. "What I'm trying to say is – in addition to it being a dick move to take advantage of a drunk girl – Real Veronica would kick my ass in the morning if I allowed anything – even kissing – to happen tonight."

"But…"

"It's already going to be weird as fuck between us over…this…" He gestures to the way she’s straddling his lap. "But at least nothing's actually happened that we can't take back."

_ Unless you count the dry humping, but it's not like we haven't done that before. _

This is only a partial reason, though. His vow that she'd be the one to initiate their next kiss had been made out of hurt and anger. What happened outside of 7-Eleven had been the culmination of four years of fighting his desire to kiss her, and when she'd reacted by rejecting him, he'd been devastated. And had responded like a complete asshole.

He realizes now, he'd made the right decision, but for the wrong reasons.

There was too much at stake to screw this up. If he wants something real and lasting with Veronica – and he does more than anything – it needs to be a decision she makes with a clear head. They need each other for their very survival, so they don’t have the luxury of trial runs or walking away if things don’t work out. And they have to be sure they’re solid before they risk alienating Duncan.

He needs to prevent any repeats of tonight as well. All of the suggestive talk, and touching, and trying to coax her into kissing him has to stop.

He’s sure he could seduce her – he's never met a girl he couldn't – but this choice needs to be made while sober and of sound mind. And he knows more than anyone how passion can impair judgment almost as much as alcohol. Things are too intense between them. His lips and his hands can not be allowed to make her decision for her.

He ducks his head to look into her eyes again. "Let's call this a  ' _ to-be-continued' _ . We can pick back up once we're both sober, and you've acknowledged how crazy you are about me."

She rolls her eyes, but can't seem to suppress her amused grin.

He gently eases her off of him, and pulls back the bedding. "We should get some sleep."

"Okay." She moves to the top of the bed and slides between the sheets.

Logan reaches behind him to the nightstand and turns off the radio and lights and then wraps his arms around Veronica, snuggling close. Things are going to be super awkward between them in the morning, but at least he still has tonight.

He listens to her breathing, waiting for it to slow and deepen so he can slip away to the bathroom and deal with this painful erection.

_ Lord knows she's given me enough material tonight. _

"Night NoLo."

_ NoLo? Oh, that ridiculous combination of Nolan/Logan she'd used to cover with Wide. _

"Goodnight V. 'Till our next roller coaster ride."

She makes a soft purr-like sound and snuggles closer.

"That's magic, by the way. That feeling of 'butterflies' you described earlier."

"Sci-ence." Veronica answers in a sing song voice.

Logan smiles. He mouths a word in the dark. It isn't  _ 'magic' _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - CORNY!
> 
> A/N2 - I wrote the L/V Bed and Breakfast scene (without the DK section) way back in July 2012 as an experiment to see how just far I could stretch UST before it became...R(esolved)ST? I never intended to publish it when I first wrote it, but could never quite convince myself to delete it, either. They've got a ways to go before they're both on the same page at the same time, so hopefully this will help tide you over until then?
> 
> A/N3 - As always, thank you so much to ShanghaiLily/HappilyShanghaied for her excellent beta job. Like Neptune, this has been over a period of several months.


	26. Day Eight - Cover Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Broken down car, a night out, jealousy bets, misunderstandings, bar brawls, an alligator, tickle fights, more misunderstandings, confessions, two people who really really want to make out, but don't trust that the other feels the same way (because neither one of them can communicate for shit). Oh, and Duncan's around somewhere.

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Whippoorwill Blossom Inn**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

_KRIIIIING!_

Logan startles awake, taking a moment to identify the source of the noise as the antique rotary-dial telephone on the nightstand.

This had better be important after interrupting his dream. Veronica had been about to…

He opens his eyes and winces at the sunlight. His head is throbbing in time to a wobbly ceiling fan – purchased sometime in the past when brass & milk glass was still a thing – but that would be the lesser of his two predicaments.

Waking up next to Veronica has become the norm. Waking up underneath her while all-but-naked is a different matter altogether.

_How did this happen?_

She cradles her head in her arms so that both palms and all ten of her fingers are pressed into his chest. Her soft breaths drift out across his bare flesh and goose bumps prickle up in their wake.

Her shirt barely covers her ass and his hand is curled around the back of her left thigh, keeping her from falling off. Her other leg drapes across him at the most inconvenient location.

_Well at least I can cross 'moonlight as a body pillow' off my bucket list._

It's not that he's uncomfortable – he's known poodles that weigh more than Veronica. And it's not that he doesn't enjoy having her on top of him; or hasn't fantasized about it a hundred times since she cut her hair and started wearing ass-kicking boots. The problem is that he has a massive erection.

_She's going to fucking kill me if she wakes up like this._

She's not a light sleeper, so as long as he moves slowly and carefully, he might be able to roll her off without waking her.

_Kriiiiiing._

_FUCK! If the noise doesn't wake her first._

Who would be calling this room anyway? Nobody even knows they're here.

Logan sighs, tightens his grip on Veronica's thigh and keeping his body as still as possible, stretches to reach for the phone with his other hand.

"Hello?" he whispers.

"Mr. Ellis," the voice booms out from the receiver, and he flinches away. "Breakfast will be served in ten minutes. Will you and your wife be coming down?"

_Wife?_

Right. The proprietress thinks they're newlyweds for some reason, despite Veronica having corrected the woman.

He releases his grasp on Veronica's leg, gently nudging her other thigh off his dick. Her hair is a golden nest, gleaming in a beam of sunlight, and he smoothes it back with an inexplicable lump in his throat.

"Or…" Kitty is still speaking, "…I can send up a cart, if you'd prefer. We're serving a homemade coffee cake, fresh fruit and yogurt this morning."

Logan's stomach recoils. "Do you have anything…greasier?"

"Late night at the Rammer Jammer?" Kitty chuckles. "Sure thing. One hangover cure breakfast coming up. Give me twenty minutes."

Logan hangs up the phone, exhales, and runs a hand through his sleep tangled hair. He bites his lip and – like a problem that needs solving – turns back to Veronica.

Her eyes are open. Wide and staring. More than a little freaked out.

_Oh crap!_

"Hey," he whispers, "I didn't... This wasn't...uh...we weren't like this..." He gestures to their position.

Veronica averts her eyes. "Yeah." She rolls off him onto the mattress, clutches her head and whimpers.

He turns on his side to face her. "Hangover?"

She glares.

"First time?"

"First time I've wished to die."

"Food will help. Kitty's sending up some breakfast in twenty minutes."

"Gross."

She glances down at his hand resting on her waist, and he quickly snatches it back. He wants – craves – the physical closeness of yesterday afternoon, but has no idea where they stand after last night's...activities. Is she angry at him for how close they came to screwing around? Is she angry over his admission of what happened at Shelly's party?

"So...?" he begins.

"So what?" she says on an exhale, as if even talking is too much work.

"Do you remember last night?" He speaks to a spot on her forehead.

"Every. Last. Humiliating. Detail."

_Not a good sign._

"So...are we okay? Is it going to get weird between us?" He keeps his voice soft and non-confrontational.

"Weird?"

"Well, yeah. We might as well talk about it. Things got a little...out of control. We got a little...gropey. A little dry humpy."

"I can't do this right now." Veronica moans, covering her face with her forearm.

"Well that conversation went well," Logan muses aloud.

A bubble of hysterical laughter escapes from Veronica.

His heart constricts and he rolls onto his back, sighing.

_I've really gone and blown it._

If he didn't already have a hangover, he would smack himself in the head for fucking everything up.

He's finally figured it out. Finally accepted that he'll never get be able to fuck Veronica out of his system, and he doesn't want to. That he would rather choose celibacy if it came with the tiniest chance of being with her.

His head is clear, he knows what he wants, and he's probably ruined everything.

For all his good intentions, he'd let things go too far last night, with the nuzzling and the touching and the strategic-alignment-of-hips, and now she won't even look at him.

He closes his eyes, breathing in the faint scent of her shampoo lingering on his pillow.

 

A loud knocking wakes him from his light doze.

He slips out of bed. Halfway to the door he stops, glancing down to where he wears only boxers, and calls out, "Can you leave it in the hallway, and I'll get it in a minute?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Ellis," Kitty answers. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Logan leans back, pressing his shoulders against the wall and tilting his head to stare at the popcorn-textured ceiling.

He senses Veronica is watching him and when he peeks through his lashes, her eyes are traveling over his stomach and chest. He squeezes his lids closed again before their gazes can meet.

_Could this be any more awkward?_

Kitty's shuffling footsteps trail off and Logan cracks the door, peers out, and then wheels in a second silver food cart.

He rolls last night's cart into the hallway, one squeaky wheel exacerbating the pain of his headache. "Up, Veronica."

She whimpers, burrowing further into the pillows.

"Come on, V. You'll feel better once the food soaks up the alcohol. Sit up."

"Can't. My head is too heavy."

Logan sighs, and slides a hand under her neck, helping her to sit.

"I hate you," she grumbles.

"We established that months ago." He says, propping the blue and white printed pillows to make her more comfortable.

"Ha. Ha." She's not actually laughing.

A container of Ibuprofen sits on the cart. Logan snags it and shakes some pills into the lid, holding it out to Veronica along with a bottle of water. She plucks out three, and he tosses back the rest, dry swallowing.

The room is uncomfortably quiet and if he doesn't distract himself soon, he'll probably do something pathetic. Like begging her to want him. Or to forgive him. For last night. For last year. For existing. He picks up the ancient looking remote, turns on the television, and stabs at the 'channel up' button.

The inn only gets four channels. No cable. settles on a network morning news show and turns his attention back to the cart.

A silver carafe contains coffee and Logan fixes a cup, adding cream and sugar and offering it to Veronica. She grimaces and waves him off, so he keeps it, inhaling its strong aroma and taking a sip before examining the rest of the breakfast.

_Needed that._

Under the cloche lids, Logan finds a veritable grease-fest. Bacon, sausage links, hash browns, fried eggs and toast.

"What'll you have?" he asks.

"Too exhausted."

"To chew?" He arches an eyebrow.

"To lift a fork."

Logan shakes his head and reaches for a triangle of buttered toast. He rips a piece off and holds it up to Veronica's lips.

She gives him a pained smile of gratitude, opens her mouth, and chews.

They eat without speaking; keeping their eyes focused on the television as the anchorman reports the latest on the Iraq conflict and the upcoming presidential elections.

Veronica rejects his offers of hash browns and eggs, but steals all the bacon from the platter.

Between cross-country driving and drinking at the Rammer Jammer, they'd missed the news yesterday and any coverage of their mall adventures.

They get a small mention today. In the past day, they've been sighted in Vegas, Pittsburgh and Boston – but not in the Deep South, thankfully.

Several new photos from the Dallas Mall accompany the report. They'd been putting on a show – enlisting the crowd as allies – so the intimate yet passionate way he looks at Veronica in the photos isn't surprising. The way she mirrors his expression is.

Next to him, Veronica's breath catches. Their eyes meet, and his heart flutters. He tries to hold her gaze, but she drops her eyes.

Logan's chest tightens, and he's tempted to nudge her chin and make her to look at him. To force a conversation, even if it results in a fight. Anything is better than this silence.

Veronica lifts her bottle of water to her mouth, cutting off that option. He turns back to his breakfast, but finds his appetite has evaporated.

"I'm done. You want this sausage?" he asks.

"No, thanks." She sips from her bottle again, and then shoves it at Logan. "No more."

_No more breakfast? Or does she mean that in a wider aspect?_

"Okay, try to get some more sleep. Give the food and aspirin time to do their job." Logan nudges her forward and rearranges her pillows for her.

"Okay."

He continues. "...and I'll head over to the garage and grab our bags so we'll have something to wear after we shower."

"...'kay." She snuggles into the pillow.

Logan slips into yesterday's jeans, socks, and shoes, and then sits down on the edge of the bed. "Um...Veronica?"

She cracks an eyelid. "Yeah?"

"We only have one shirt between us, and I'm going to need it back now."

He stands and looks away. The last thing he needs after last night is to be caught ogling her now. The shirt lands on his shoulder, and he catches it.

He finishes dressing and finger combs his hair in the mirror.

_Hopeless without a shower._

"Get some sleep. I'll be back in a little while."

She doesn't answer, and he slips out the door, relieved to escape the tension in the room.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

The rich aroma of quality espresso envelopes Veronica like a lover, and she's tempted to hop the counter and make her own damn drink.  _If anyone complains, I can always blame Heat Wave Fever._

Last night she'd been on her way to becoming a Heat Wave Fever believer; today, she's nearly convinced. She's not a violent person by nature, but if the living, breathing Ken Doll in line before her at the Cuppa Joe Coffee House changes his order one more time, she can't be held accountable for tackling him and dragging him away by the ear.  _You don't get between a girl and her caffeine._

She tightens her jaw, shifts her bag to her other shoulder and crosses her arms over her chest. Ice cubes rattle in an industrial blender, and patrons murmur quietly in pairs or trios around wicker tables. Not a laptop in sight.

Maybe her irritation stems from the incongruous white and pastel color scheme – a stark contrast to the earth tones and stainless steel she's come to expect from coffee houses. Maybe it's Indecisive Ken in his pressed dove gray chinos and meticulously tucked purple gingham shirt. Or maybe his doll-like companion – blonde, slender, wearing a floral printed A-line dress with flutter sleeves, perfectly matched pearls, and short gloves with a laser cut daisy pattern around the wrist. The kind of woman who  _perspires_  instead of sweating. She plucks an old fashioned coin purse from her nude clutch, eyeing Veronica's khaki short shorts and pink printed tee shirt with blatant disapproval.

_Because I'd take fashion advice from a woman wearing gloves in one hundred degree heat?_

She'd give anything to hear Logan's take on this pair.

She can almost imagine him whispering in her ear, voice dripping with sarcasm as he cracks about pink convertibles or wonders when Skipper will be along.

Logan.

The true source of her dark mood.

She'd been relieved to find herself alone the third time she woke, although the room showed signs he'd been back – her duffel bag and shower kit by the door, his own shower kit draining onto a bath towel draped neatly over a chair.

Three more aspirin and one long hot shower later, and Veronica's headache has receded from a knife in the skull to merely an unpleasant ache.

Ken and Barbie finally step aside, and she moves forward, ordering a large mocha-chip frappe.

"What's Wi-Fi?" the barista asks when she inquires.

_Right. It's hardly commonplace on the West coast, why should I expect it here?_

"Never mind." She sighs and pays for her drink.

From the overhead speaker, Patsy Cline croons about loving somebody she should be hating. Veronica groans internally and makes her order to-go.

Icy caffeinated beverage finally in hand, Veronica steps outside into the furnace. A gust of wet heat blasts her in the face, converting her light coat of mascara into something sticky and heavy.

Now…to find Logan.

She'd rather not. She'd rather do anything else. But she can't avoid him forever.

She'd barely been able to meet his eyes this morning when it all came rushing back.

Heat wave fever...Lemon Breeland...The Rammer Jammer...the jealousy bet...dancing...kissing - but not Logan...Wade Kinsella...bar brawls and running and an alligator named Burt Reynolds...then back to their room, and…

_...throwing myself at Logan like a cat in heat!_

She had all but begged him to make out with her last night, and he'd been the one to put on the brakes.

_Please let me die now._

Why did he have to go and bring it up this morning? Hadn't she humiliated herself enough? Would it have killed him to pretend it had never happened?

_Nothing did happen! He shut it all down._

She stops at the intersection – allowing a rusty, red truck to chug past with a long-eared hound dog panting out the window – and then crosses. The asphalt is tacky, clutching at the bottom of her shoes, and making her feet stick to the sidewalk, even after she's crossed.

She pauses on the other side, mentally comparing Bluebell's quaint town square to Stars Hollow on The Gilmore Girls - a show Lilly had once considered "must-see" and Veronica can't bear to watch since her death.

It's nearly identical. Right down to the octagonal gazebo.

Children in bathing suits squeal and leap through an oscillating sprinkler. An old-fashioned ice cream cart plays  _Pop Goes the Weasel_  as the white-hatted vendor hurries to serve a mob of older kids. Three grandmothers sit on a wooden bench wielding their hand fans like synchronized swimmers. They give Veronica the once over, and then whisper among themselves.

_What? They're called legs, and in one hundred degree heat, I don't plan on covering them up._

Rusty's Wrench is on the far side of the square, so Veronica cuts through its center, choosing to jog up the steps to the gazebo for two seconds of shade when she could just as easily walk around.

Blame the alcohol, blame heat wave fever, or whatever, but at various points during the previous evening, _"_ _fake fiancé_ _"_ had started blurring into _"_ _actual   boyfriend_ _"_ in her consciousness. Their stop at this gazebo had been one of those moments.

Sure, it had been cornball and, were it any other couple, she would probably roll her eyes and snark about it to Wallace. But at the same time, there'd been an earnest sweetness to the moment that she hadn't really experienced since Lilly's death.

She'd thought Logan had been asking her out on a date at one point, and had to hide her disappointment when he'd mentioned bringing Duncan along.

_Not a date, after all._

"Dodged a bullet there," Logan says, and Veronica freezes in her path, halfway across the platform.

Momentarily, she wonders if she's losing her mind.

He speaks again, his voice coming from her left. "I'm surprised nobody pointed the sheriff in the direction we ran."

Veronica glides over to the side railing and finds Logan sitting below on a green park bench, black baseball cap and wraparound shades disguising his face. His sleeveless tee is pale gray, with two dark horizontal stripes over a yellow sunset – the same one he wore for her surprise birthday party last summer – a lifetime ago. He pairs it with flip-flops and khaki cargo shorts. Only the pukka shells are missing to complete the picture.

He'd been wearing the shells in her dream this morning. They'd whispered across her skin, tickling her as he leaned over, pressing soft, languid,  _we-have-all-day_  kisses into her neck, shoulders and chest.

She shakes the stimulating image with an exhale and inspects Logan's companion, a short, round black man in suspenders. His jaunty red bow tie matches the band on his bowler hat, and his mustache is just a hair on this side of ridiculous.

"Don't blame yourself, son," the man says. "The Gainey Boys know better than to show up in Bluebell on Homecoming. They were looking for trouble."

"But I threw the first punch, Dash. Or the second, if you count Tansy hitting me."

_Dash? Interesting name._

"Well, to be fair, the Truitts aren't exactly the definition of restraint, either."

"I can believe that."

Dash nudges him gently with his elbow. "So I saw you and your young lady in the gazebo last night dancing to Crazy Earl's whistling."

"Crazy Earl?"

"Town drunk. Every month when he gets his government check, he climbs up on the roof of the Hardware Store and sings Moon River. Usually he won't come down until his son comes up and sings it with him."

Veronica pictures an older man – sixties probably – with droopy pants, a red nose, and a shock of messy gray hair. He'd been at the Rammer Jammer last night, dancing…well…flailing. George and Lemon had pointed him out and identified him as Wade's father.

_Poor Wade. Lianne may have done horrible things, but forcing me to sing in public wasn't one of them._

"Poor guy," Logan says, having no clue he's referring to  _Wide_. "Yeah, that was just a spontaneous thing. Something to remember from our stop in this town."

"You're crazy about her, huh?" Dash asks, and it takes a second for Veronica to realize he's talking about her.

Logan flashes a ghost of a smile. "That obvious?"

"Only to anybody with eyes."

 _Anybody who falls for the fiancé story, you mean._ Veronica crouches down to re-tie her laces.

"Yeah..." Logan says, white teeth pressed into his bottom lip. "So...was that you who joined in whistling?"

"Guilty. Old Earl never could carry a tune."

Veronica is considering announcing her presence, when Dash speaks again. "So how did you two lovebirds come together?"

Logan leans back, stretching out his legs. "Ahhh...that's a long story, Dash."

"Your car won't be ready for a bit. We have plenty of time."

"Fine, but if you even think about trying to record me again, I'm out," Logan says.

Dash takes a portable recorder from his pocket, ejecting the tape and stashing it in a second pocket. "Carry on."

Veronica pulls back behind the gazebo's support columns.

_This is wrong._

She shouldn't be eavesdropping – especially not on Logan – but things are already uncomfortable enough between them without having to smile and perform the  _star-crossed-lovers_  story he'd concocted last week.

Plus, if she's being honest with herself, she loves watching Logan in action. Loves watching him charm and persuade people.  _Did_ love it. Back before she was his victim of choice.

For somebody who hates the industry, he's three times the actor his father is – charismatic and humming with a sort of energy that makes it impossible to look away – with the added benefit of being able to think quickly on his feet.

"It's no fairy tale," Logan warns. He strips off his shades, setting them on his lap, and rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "I don't even know where to begin."

"At the beginning." Dash's eyes twinkle in the way of people who have a greedy ear for stories. The perfect counterpart for someone who loves to perform as much as Logan.

Logan seems to reach same conclusion, because he flashes a crocodile smile. "It was love at first sight, you know."

Veronica rolls her eyes.  _Why keep it simple when you can make it dramatic?_

Resigned in her decision to eavesdrop, she sits, shifting into a position behind the column that will allow her to peek at them without being seen. The concrete floor of the platform is a cool balm against her skin in this blistering heat.

"We were twelve when we met." Logan says.

"And you've loved her ever since?" Dash asks.

Logan pauses, pretending to carefully consider the question. "Yeah, I think so. It's ebbed and flowed over the years. For a while, I loved another girl, and I watched her love another guy. And there were times when I didn't even like her, but the feeling has never really gone away. It's withered, but it's never died."

"Where'd you meet?"

"At the Community Park." Logan freezes, lips turning downward, and then groans and scrubs a frustrated hand over his face.

Veronica's belly knots up. She knows exactly what he's thinking.

_Fuck Ciaran Fitzpatrick for tainting what should be a place of happy memories for us._

When Logan speaks again, his voice has an introspective tone. "It was at the soccer field. I was standing on sidelines. I looked out onto the field and there she was." He makes a 'poof' gesture with his long fingers.

"And you felt like you'd been struck by lightning?" Dash asks, eyes glittering.

Logan chuckles. "Nah. Nothing that cataclysmic. I don't know…I saw her face, and she immediately became important to me. Not because she was pretty – I mean she was, but not in the blatant in-your-face way I was used to – it was more like 'Oh. There you are.' You know what I mean?"

"You felt like you knew her?"

"Yeah. Something like that." He flashes an embarrassed grin. "She was small – like ridiculously small – so small she made the other players look like brutes. And I'm cringing any time anybody gets near her, because I just found her, and now they're going to break her." He ducks his head, laughs, and glances back up. "But after a few minutes of watching her, I'm cringing in sympathy for the players on the other team, because she was so damn fierce."

Logan fiddles with the sunglasses in his hands, a small smile on his face. "I loved that even more about her. And I was proud of her. I mean, I'd never met her in my life, but I wanted to tell her how proud I was."

Veronica's body floods with warmth.  _I was a badass, wasn't I?_ Despite the fact that he's telling a story, this feels like genuine admiration on Logan's part.

"Go on," Dash says.

Logan glances back up, smile widening. "I'll always think of her that way – as that little beast on the soccer field. Even when she pretended to be angelic. Or when she would step aside to let her best friend have the spotlight. Even when she faked it like a good little future-politician's wife, I always knew she had this fierce and dangerous side to her. You know?"

_Faked it like a politician's wife? I never did that! Way to spoil the warm-and-fuzzies, Jackass._

"I convinced her to hang out with me for a while after the game and it was just…" he gives a rueful little head shake. "She could see right through me. And for the first time in my life, I wanted someone to."

"And you've been together ever since?"

Logan barks out a burst of laughter. "Not even close!"

Dash shakes his head. "You let her get away, didn't you?"

"I  _pushed_  her away."

"Why would you go and do a stupid thing like that?"

Logan works at the brim of his hat, curving it down on the sides with his thumbs. "I wasn't fit to lick her boots back then. I'm still not. Not really."

"Sounds like a cop-out to me," Dash says.

_Yep._

Logan doesn't answer right away. He stares off at some point in the distance, absently lifting his left foot to the bench and hugging his knee. When he speaks again, his voice is world-weary. "She was twelve, going on thirteen, and I was twelve, going on eighteen. That's how things were at my old school – even at that age, we were all bored and rich and jaded. She still believed the world was a generally good place back then. I knew better. First hand."

Dash offers a slow nod of understanding, though whether from actual empathy or to nudge Logan to continue, Veronica isn't sure.

"My father…" Logan sighs, tugs the hat brim further over his face and dips his chin to his chest. "He thinks he's smarter than everyone else and likes to boast about manipulating people. There was this one time, we were in – well, the location doesn't matter – but he was giving me advice on finding the right incentive to…" He pauses to make air quotes. _'Turn good girls bad'_. Like it was a sport or something. It was nauseating."

 _Damn, Logan!_  They'd agreed that it was best to draw from their own lives and to lie as little as possible for their cover story, but why would Logan reveal such ugly personal details to a complete stranger?

Veronica has no doubt Logan is speaking the truth after his revelation that his father had bartered his virginity away to the starlet Lisa Loper in exchange for a meaty movie role.

_He did say that happened only weeks before he met me._

It's hard to swallow around the lump in her throat and, once again, Veronica is tempted to destroy Aaron Echolls for doing that to his own son.

Logan removes his cap and runs a hand through his hair. "So I meet this girl and she's perfect, and funny and smart, and all I could think about was that conversation with him, and how I would ruin her. How I didn't want to be anything like my father. Even accidentally."

Dash places a comforting hand on Logan's shoulder, but from his expression, he's clearly uncomfortable with the dark turn the conversation has taken.

Logan continues, oblivious to the mood of his audience. "She was like...you ever see those landscape Christmas cards where the snow is this perfect blanket of fluffy whiteness? That was her. She was the snow and I didn't want to be the one to leave dirty footprints all over her."

"Come on, son. I think you're being a little hard on yourself."

_Seriously._

Logan offers a small  _thanks-for-the-sentiment-even-though-I-disagree_  smile. "She deserved better. She deserved my best friend. I learned that same day that he was also interested in her. So I made a promise to myself and to him to stay away from her."

"What kind of friend asks you to stay away from your true love?" Dash asks.

Veronica has to suppress a laugh at being called Logan's "true love". Lilly Kane's ghost would have something to say about that.

"Oh, no. He didn't. He was completely gracious, insisting that I should be with her if I cared that much. And I insisted that  _he_ should, because she would be much better off without me in her life."

"How did that work out?"

"Not very well." Logan lets out a bitter laugh. "I thought it would be so simple. That just making the decision to leave her alone would be enough."

"Things are never simple."

"Nope. I almost ruined everything the very next time I saw her. Somehow we ended up alone, sitting with our feet in the pool, and I was...happy." He pauses and shakes his head as if the concept of happiness is beyond his comprehension. "I felt like a kid for once. You know? At peace. God, I was just  _gone_ for her."

Veronica's presses a hand to her breastbone, resentful at how Logan can easily discuss that day by the pool – even weave it into his story – when the mere memory makes her chest constrict painfully.

He scratches at a spot on the bench where the enamel paint is chipped and speaks again in a soft tone. "I looked into her eyes and I wanted to kiss her more than anything. I was about to, when my friend came back outside with drinks and caught us."

"The same friend you made the promise to?"

"Yeah. The same friend." His eyes drop, guiltily. "And he looked so devastated. That's when I knew I couldn't be trusted to keep my promise. I had to do something drastic."

"What did you do?"

"The one thing I knew would ruin any chance I might have had with her." He turns to look Dash in the eye. "I got up and kissed her best friend."

Dash palms his face and shakes his head.

 _Just a story. Just a story. Just a story._ Veronica repeats the mantra in her head.

"So how long did it take her to forgive you? For kissing her friend?"

"I never said she liked me back." Logan lets out a self-deprecating laugh. "I don't know. We've never talked about it. I started a relationship with her friend, and she never reacted at all. I guess I was the smitten one."

Her nerve endings tingle and she exhales.

"Well, at least your intentions were good."

"Yeah," Logan laughs again. "I used to think of it as my great noble sacrifice. But then again, I can't exactly call my years with Lilly a sacrifice. I loved her. A lot."

_Damn it, Logan! You'd better hope the name Lilly doesn't tip this guy off._

Veronica can't listen anymore. The emotional roller coaster is making her nauseous.

She tiptoes back to the steps from which she came and circles the long way around the town square to approach Logan head on.

She's nearly to him when he glances up, his posture stiffening and his eyes narrowing in wariness.

_He's not sure where we stand after last night's...activities._

_Hell, I'm not sure where we stand either, but I'm all for sweeping it under the rug._

"Hey, Hon!" she calls out in faux cheerfulness.

"Hi." Small, embarrassed smile.

There isn't any room on the bench, so Veronica perches daintily on his knee wrapping an arm around his neck.

She attempts to greet him with a kiss on the cheek, but on a whim she changes direction.

For several pulse-pounding moments, she lingers on his lips, soft and minty against her own.

_Breathe, Veronica. This is a proper greeting for a fiancé - meaningful, but not enough to make bystanders uncomfortable._

The kiss surprises the hell out of Logan – and herself, if she's being honest.

"I was looking all over for you, sweetie." Her smile feels plastic, and her voice is a little too forced.

_Maintain the cover story, Veronica. Fiancés kiss hello._

The wariness in Logan's eyes is gone now, replaced with something sweeter. "I'm glad you're here. I was just telling Dash here the story of how we met."

"Don't believe a word he says," Veronica teases. "I'm sure he would have you believing that I was instantly enthralled and followed him around like a puppy trying to get him to notice me."

"Yeah, something like that," Logan says in that soft voice he uses when he feels the schmoop coming on. "Veronica, I want you to meet Dash Dewitt."

_You idiot! You used my real name._

She forces a smile and surreptitiously crushes Logan's hand with her own. "Pleased to meet you, Dash"

Logan smirks. "Relax, V. I've known him most of my life. I knew he lived somewhere in the Deep South. I just didn't know it was here."

_Right. Because these two move in the same social circles._

He notices her skepticism and explains. "He's a long-time friend of my mom's from her New York theater days. He used to stay with us for a week or so every November to organize the Echolls Family Christmas Special." Other than a twitching of his lips, Logan admirably manages to reserve any further commentary.

_He must be holding back for Dash's benefit._

She has vivid memories of Logan making herself and Lilly roll with laughter, as he parodied his parents' yearly attempts to resurrect the Celebrity Christmas Special genre.

And now she remembers his descriptions of the little round tyrant with a habit of butting heads with Aaron while coordinating the song and dance numbers.

_Well that explains the oversharing, I suppose._

_But if he's known this man his entire life, why would he tell him the made-up love story?_

_Unless…?_

The air rushes from Veronica's lungs and her stomach bottoms out.

Dash notices her change in demeanor. "Are you okay? Veronica?"

Logan glances at her, chuckles, and rubs the top of her head. "It just occurred to her that she wasted a kiss on me when the fiancée pretense wasn't necessary."

"Yeah," she mutters, distractedly.

"Well I am very happy to meet you, Veronica, but I must be on my way. Homecoming weekend festivities are calling, and the dance team still hasn't perfected their leaps for tonight's performance. I'll make sure to get that message to your mom, Logan."

"Tell her I love her. And remember, contact her through Mrs. Navarro, in case her cell is being traced."

"I certainly will. I look forward to it."

"Thanks, man. Great to see you again." Logan waits for Dash to be out of earshot before lowering his voice to an almost-whisper. "Last time I saw him, I walked in on him arguing with my mother. Trying to convince her to divorce dear old dad after he caught Aaron naked on top of his publicist in one of the guest bedrooms. He even offered to let me and my mom come stay with him, but my mom wouldn't listen. He never came back after that."

Veronica is only half-listening. She slides off of Logan's lap into the empty spot vacated by Dash and replays Logan's words in her head.

_If he had no reason to lie to Dash, does that mean his entire story could have been true?_

Love at first sight? Considering their young ages and Logan's drama queen tendencies, she mentally amends that to infatuation. It couldn't have been love, could it?

Had it really been a misguided attempt at being noble – to save her from himself – that caused Logan to blow her off and turn to Lilly on her thirteenth birthday?

_And did he mean it when he said the feeling never really died? Was he trying to say that he loves me? Present tense?_

Her lungs won't cooperate with the basic act of breathing.

Logan's hand is curled around the edge of the wooden bench, mere inches from her own. She stares at it for a moment through increasingly blurry vision, and then closes the distance, curling her pinky around his.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

His heart hammers out of his chest as Logan stares down to where their little fingers are linked together.

He's been bracing himself all morning for more awkwardness. Or worse. She'd been too tired and hung-over for an argument earlier, but that didn't mean things wouldn't deteriorate once she had time to think it over.

When she'd first arrived at the square, the tension had been palpable, and even after she'd chastely kissed him on the lips, there'd been a skittish _'_ _gonna-have-to-brave-this-out'_  glint to her eyes.

But something has shifted in the few minutes since she sat down. She's become quiet and thoughtful. Distracted.

And now, with her pinky curled around his, mirroring two moments in the past when he'd almost given in to his feelings for her, he knows with some kind of certainty that everything has changed.

_Why, is yet to be seen._

He'd had his reasons for squandering those two earlier opportunities.  _And the third one. But she doesn't know anything about that._ Those reasons had seemed sound at the time, but he's not about to throw away another chance.

_If that's even what she's offering._

Logan shifts sideways on the bench to face her. She's stares off the left, pointedly avoiding his gaze. "Veronica?" With his free hand, he gently nudges her chin to make her look at him.

Her eyes are wet and glossy, and she lifts them to the sky in an effort to keep the tears from toppling over the edge.

Logan's chest tightens and his throat thickens. To his knowledge, he hasn't done anything, and she's not one to let people see her cry. He's seen the after-effects – red, raw eyes after a long shower – but she's never let him see her vulnerable. "What's wrong? Did I…?"

"Nothing's wrong." She sniffs, and swipes away the moisture with the back of her free hand. "Everything is fine."

Her smile is sweet and genuine, and he believes her. Maybe this isn't sadness or anger. He smiles back hopefully, and then dives right in. "I had an epiphany last night."

Her face instantly begins to shut down, and he reaches for her other hand, giving it a squeeze. "Hey. Nothing bad."

"What then?"

"About us." He inhales, taking a moment to work up his nerve. "Romantically."

Veronica's stares down at their hands, but exhibits no outward reaction.

Logan continues. "You know that thing I had with Lilly? The constant breaking up and making up?" Her only response is a silent shrug of assent. "I can't do that again, Veronica. Especially with you. It would be disastrous if we tried and failed."

"Right."

"I mean, it would be a shame to hurt Duncan for no reason, and losing each other would be even more devastating."

She finally meets his eyes, warily. "That's what I tried to tell you back in Peggy's truck."

"I know. I know, and I apologize. You were completely right that day, and I responded like an idiot."

It must take all of her will to resist rubbing it in. "So that's it, then. We just. _.._ _don't."_

"Don't get ahead of me, Speedy." Logan smirks and scrunches his nose. "I'm not saying that. I'm saying it isn't something we can decide on a whim. Because we've had too much to drink, or because our pull for each other is too strong to resist."

She starts to speak, but he cuts her off with an index finger to the lips. "Don't even try to deny it. You admitted it last night. We both did. And if we were back in Neptune, undeniable attraction would probably be enough. But here, the stakes are too high."

"If we were back in Neptune, this situation would never even come up."

"Bullshit. You think it wouldn't have bubbled over eventually?"

She looks uncertain, but doesn't argue, so he continues. "We don't have the luxury of walking away if things don't work out. So I think that before we take that step, we need ask ourselves if we're willing to put in the effort to make it work. If we're sure that's what we want."

Veronica nods her head slowly. "That's a…reasonable request."

Logan brushes his fingertips across her cheek, waiting for her to meet his eyes before speaking. "For the record, I am sure."

"Sure?"

"I'm sure that I want to take that step."

Veronica's breath hitches. Her eyes widen and she looks at him like she used to – when she still thought he was something special.

He gives her a soft smile. "So do me a favor and think hard about it, okay? Do you even want a relationship? Do you want one with me? Even knowing it's going to be harder than what you're used to? Because it will be. I'm not Duncan and I never will be. I'm an asshole. And so are you. And hell, maybe you would rather be with him, anyway. Just…think hard about whatever reservations you might have."

"Okay," she whispers.

_Why aren't we kissing again?_

He settles for kissing her forehead. "For my part? I want you. Only you. I'm willing to put in an effort. And to fight to make it work. I'm even willing to risk hurting my best friend for the chance to be with you."

"Sounds like you've put some thought into it."

"Yeah. I was up all night thinking about it - us - and how we could do...this with the least amount of damage." He laughs. "I just didn't think we'd be having this conversation anytime soon." _And I still don't understand what's happening right now._ "So...whatever you need to help you decide…? You need space?" He smirks and scoots down to the end of the bench. "I'll keep a two-foot distance between us at all times."

Veronica snorts and slides down next to him with a hip bump. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Well, I know my innate sex appeal can be too much of a temptation sometimes," he says, earning a laugh from her. "But seriously, do you need time?"

"Time would be…nice," she answers, almost shyly.

"Okay." He kisses her forehead again. "I'm all in, Veronica. Just...take as much time as you need to be positive. No more pushing."

"None?"

"None. You're in complete control. Whatever you want or need."

"I thought I was already in control - wasn't there a vow or something along the lines that I would kiss you first?"

"Still applies, but I could be less of a pushy dick about it."

"Why the sudden change?"

"I could ask you the same question." He glances down to where their fingers are still joined.

Veronica flashes him a Mona Lisa smile and shrugs with one shoulder. She's not admitting anything.

 

 

 

 

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**

 

It's too hot for any physical contact with Veronica as they walk to the Dixie Stop to stock up on road food and ice cold beverages, so Logan settles for the occasional shoulder brush. He's probably exhibiting junkie behavior, but there are worse things to be addicted to than touching Veronica Mars.

"Have you seen Duncan at all today?" she asks, "Was he at the B&B?"

There'd been a silver cart outside of Duncan's room with the remains of his breakfast when Logan came back to the inn to shower - the fruit and yogurt, of course. "No, I didn't see him, but he was there."

Veronica isn't even listening. She's several steps behind, staring in the window of the Precious Bundles Maternity Boutique.

_A Bluebell business with a nauseating name? Shocking._

"Um...Sweetpea?" Logan rests his hand lightly on her shoulder, "Is there something you'd like to tell me about?"

She rolls her eyes. "Your sperm isn't that magical, Logan. Follow me, and play along."

A bell rings as she pushes open the door, and it's like stepping out of a furnace and into a freezer. A manic-looking 40-something redhead emerges from the back room.

"Hello there!" she calls out, her smile stretching so wide it looks painful. "Well, aren't you as cute as a bug?"

"I usually get handsome or dead sexy, but cute as a bug works," Logan deadpans, earning an elbow in the gut from Veronica. "Ouch!"

"How may I help you? You don't look very far along." The woman – Faye, according to her nametag – asks, eying Veronica's flat stomach.

"Eight weeks," Veronica answers in her over-enthusiastic  _Amber_ voice, "And we're already so excited, aren't we sweetie?"

 _Eight Weeks ago would have been summer vacation._  He laughs at himself for even bothering to do the math and kisses Veronica's temple. "Can't wait for my little peanut to enter the world."

This isn't his first time in place like this. Back when he was trying to get Stacy Newlin into bed, she'd worked at the maternity store at the mall.

This store could not be more different. Creepy, old-fashioned painted mannequins stare right through him, rather than the pale, headless variety he's become accustomed to. And even if Veronica  _was_  nine months pregnant and desperate for clothing, he still can't imagine her wearing any of these ruffled and frumpy garments.

Music plays softly from somewhere in the back. Logan doesn't recognize the song - something about an endless highway - but he can almost hear his father's voice humming along.

 _God, if Dad somehow heard that I'd knocked up Veronica…_  He shudders at the idea. If that were to happen, he couldn't run fast or far enough.

Veronica points to what captured her attention from outside. An undressed mannequin with a wrap-around belly pad.

"Oh! I do apologize for that," Faye says with an embarrassed grimace. "I was in the middle of changing out the window display when the phone rang."

"Don't apologize. I'd like to buy that pregnancy pad."

And now it all makes sense. Smart. But what else would he expect from her?

Faye raises an eyebrow. "Honey, you don't need to buy a pad. We provide them for trying on clothing."

"Actually, I do need to purchase one. My mom has volunteered to sew a maternity wardrobe for me. She's a hobby seamstress."

The woman's smile falters as her chances for a big sale dwindle. Veronica notices and places her hand on the woman's arm, eyes entreating. "Trust me, I'd much rather have brand new, quality clothing like you sell here. But...my mom and I...we've been estranged for a few years. This pregnancy has brought her back into my life, and we could really use the mother/daughter bonding time." She lowers her eyes. "It's been a rough couple years."

Faye's eyes soften, and she covers Veronica's hand with her own. "Let's see what we can dig up for you, hon." She gestures for them to follow.

Logan can only smirk and shake his head at Veronica's ability to persuade and manipulate. It turns him on more than he would ever admit.

She leads them to a sitting area in the rear surrounded by dressing rooms and three-way mirrors, and invites them to have a seat on one of the beige upholstered benches, before disappearing into the back room.

She returns moments later with a boxful of padded strap-on bellies.

Logan has to turn around to keep from cracking up as the woman straps Veronica into an enormous pad. She looks as if she could topple face first from the weight imbalance.

"Hon?" Veronica calls out, sugar-sweet. "You wouldn't be laughing at me, would you?"

"Only on the inside." A round table displays an assortment of the world's plainest and most utilitarian bras. He lifts one, examines it, and holds it up to show Veronica. She tilts her head in question. ' _What would I need with that?'_  With a flick of his fingers, the right cup drops completely open. He grins, giving her a lecherous double eyebrow-bob, and her eyes roll skyward.  ' _Infant!'_ she mouths.

Faye steps back to inspect the fit and shakes her head. "No. You'll never get this big. Your frame is too tiny." She rips apart the Velcro straps with a loud skriiiiitch and digs through her box for a more appropriately sized pad. "So, do you have any names picked out?"

Veronica actually giggles. "Well, last night, daddy over there was saying something about Thomas, Richard, or Harold." She sticks her tongue out at Logan.

"Actually sweetie, I'm pretty sure our little peanut there is an  _Amber_."

Her eyes narrow and he laughs. Of course, he would never name an actual daughter Amber. Thanks to Veronica, that name will forever be associated with hot little school girl outfits and knee socks. He groans at the mental image.

_Has it really only been one week?_

"You want to have a girl, honey?" Veronica asks.

"All I care is that it's healthy, darling."

Veronica smiles her approval and he feels as if he's grown a foot taller.

A spinner rack in the corner displays a collection of plush baby rattles - padded rings attached to assorted animal heads. Logan rotates it once, and then plucks a stuffed lion's head from its hook, giving it an experimental shake. It's unbelievably soft - like the bath robes in the luxury hotels his parents stay in - and he uses it to tap out the beat of the light-rock song on the outside of his thigh.

The store manager pointedly ignores him, and Veronica narrows her eyes at him. He blows her a kiss.

"This is the one," Faye says, finally determining the correct belly pad size. She steers Veronica to one of the full-length mirrors. "This is what you'll likely look like between seven and nine months."

"I can't believe it!" Veronica stares at her reflection, covers her mouth with both hands and exhales in an emotionally overwhelmed manner. "Can I see what it looks like under clothes?"

"Of course." Faye eyeballs Veronica's size again. "Let me find something suitable."

Logan moves to stand behind Veronica and meets her eyes in the mirror, "Wow sweetie. Eight weeks? My boys must be some serious swimmers." He traces the side of her neck with the plush lion, and she visibly shivers.

"Regular time travelers they are," she says, turning to face him. She wraps her arms around his neck, and tugs him closer.

His belly flip-flops in anticipation of being kissed, but of course, she only wants to whisper in his ear.

"A long-haired brunette in glasses, eight-months pregnant? Who would ever make the leap to Veronica Mars? You're doing great, by the way."

His arms slip around her, resting on her lower back. "I pass muster as a proud papa?"

"Don't push it. Hey check this out." She points to the concave -  _or is it convex?_  - space between the pad and her body. "How's this for a hiding place for a second disguise?"

"Good thinking. You know…" His eyes flick down to hers suggestively. "…we'll need a conception back-story,"

"A what?"

"You know. How we created our little pilaf." He skims his fingers across her cheek and then tilts his head whispering into her ear. "I think it was that night I took you in the shower. It was all slip-slidey, and I had to lift you up and press you to the wall. Your legs were wrapped around my waist, and you kept making those adorable little sounds."

Sure, it's a well-worn fantasy from his rotation, and he omits the more explicit details, but Veronica's breath hitches. Her fingers tighten on the back of his neck and he feels electric all over.

And also like a complete dickhead. It's obvious from their one makeout session and last night's everything-but, that he and Veronica are very sexually compatible and it's unfair to use that advantage against her twenty minutes after telling her to take her time with her decision.

He steps back with a put-on smirk and Veronica's half lowered eyelids widen, transforming into a glare.

"Jackass. Nobody's going to ask us our conception story."

He caresses down her arm until he finds her hand. "Yeah, but you and I will always remember that magical moment."

"You mean that fictional moment?" She rolls her eyes, but can't completely hide her amusement.

They stop speaking when Faye returns with a small tee shirt dress in navy. "Here, why don't you try this on?"

Veronica examines the garment for a moment, and then slips it on right over her clothing. She turns in a circle, examining herself in the mirror. "What do you think?"

It seems like magic the way the dress has room for the enormous belly, but still fits her perfectly everywhere else. "I think your dad is going to want to have a long talk with me."

Veronica laughs and flashes his mom's engagement ring. "At least the wedding won't have to be at the end of a shotgun." She turns back to Faye. "I'll take the dress too. It's comfy enough to wear now for lounging around the house. Actually, why don't you give us a few minutes to browse?"

 

The Explorer is ready, the luggage has been re-packed, and all that's missing is Duncan.

Logan stows Veronica's packages in the trunk. In addition to the belly pad and the dress, she'd also purchased a pair of jeans and a striped tee shirt. "In case I have to pull off the pregnancy ruse on multiple days," she'd explained.

He climbs into the back seat with the remaining bags from the Dixie Stop, stashing the beverages in the mini-fridge.

One of the AC vents blasts down upon his face, and he sighs with pleasure, closing his eyes, and stretching out his legs as much as he can to bask in the cold air.

"Move over, bacon" Veronica says, sliding onto the bench seat next to him and taking up a similar pose. Their hips touch as she stretches to pull the door closed with her foot.

According to plan, they should reach Nicholas Key and his dad's yacht at some point late tonight. As long as nothing goes wrong.

"Duncan knows what time we're supposed to leave, right?" Veronica asks.

"He knows what time the truck was supposed to be ready." Logan opens his eyes to look at her. "V, we need to talk about that. I'm not sure Duncan's even coming."

"What?" her mouth slackens as if she's never heard anything so stupid. "Why wouldn't he come?"

"Um...the topic came up last night at the bar, and he likes it here in Bluebell."

"We've only been here one day. And he liked Dallas, too."

He examines his fingernails. "He  _really_  likes it here."

Veronica tilts her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "You mean because of that girl he was hanging out with last night? Lemon's friend?"

"Maybe he was just born to find this place."

"That's ridiculous."

"Look at this town, Veronica. It's apple pie. Wholesome girls and wholesome values and wholesome pastimes. He's already picked our replacements." Saying it out loud is like a punch in the gut. So does seeing how the words effect Veronica.

"But what if Liam Fitzpatrick finds him? He can't fight him off all by himself."

"Why would Liam check here? You and I are the recognizable ones. Duncan could simply fade into obscurity."

"But…." she trails off.

"I mean…does it bother you that he likes another girl?" His eyes follow his thumb as it traces the seam of the bench seat where pale gray meets charcoal. He can't look at her. Can't see her being jealous over her ex.

"It bothers me that  _you_  would be miserable if he stayed," she says, and he can breathe again.

It's not an answer, but it'll do for now. He almost smiles. "I know, but if you can't put your best friend's happiness first…?"

Veronica stares at him for a long time. "I don't know when it started happening, but you're becoming a good man, Logan Echolls."

His voice drops to a whisper. "Be careful making accusations like that. It'll ruin my rep."

"So...?" Veronica's eyes are a mixture of fear and anticipation.

"So...maybe it would be better if it was just us," Logan says.  _What am I even saying?_  "I mean, it's easier for two people to disappear. We could live anywhere in the country. Unless...you'd rather not?" His throat tightens at the mere idea of being without her.

"Just you and me, huh?" she whispers with a tiny smile, "Suppose that wouldn't be the end of the world."

He can't kiss her senseless, so he settles for pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Stick with me, kid."

She smirks when he pulls away. "And we'll go places?"

"Yeah."

The driver's door yanks open. "What is it, 300 degrees out?" Duncan asks reaching in to press the hatch release button. He glances into the back seat. "Are we hitting the road or are you going to sit there all day?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - Sorry readers. I really wanted to get them out of Bluebell this chapter. But...I committed publicly a month ago to post this today. I posted on my last two birthdays - figured it would be bad luck to miss this one. It seemed like a good place to stop. Otherwise, the chapter would have ended up at 20,000 words and another month to post. Hopefully the character progress will make up for the lack of story progress. 
> 
> A/N2 A HUGE thank you to my beta, ShanghaiLily/HappilyShanghaied, who beta'd 9500 words overnight, because it took me until the last minute to realize I wasn't going to get out the entire chapter I wanted to publish.
> 
> A/N3 Sorry for the lack of Duncan. Hahahahaha.


	27. Day Eight - Nicholas Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd. I had a deadline to keep. All mistakes are purely mine.  
> Reminder: Nicholas Key is completely fictional.

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Bluebell, Alabama**  
  
The pungent zing of ozone, invades Veronica's nostrils as she exits Rusty's Wrench.

The temperature still hovers around 100 degrees, but the sky has darkened to an ominous shade of gray. 

If they hurry, they might be able to beat the storm. 

Across the parking lot, Logan closes the door of the Explorer. He meets her halfway, moving with that lazy insolence she would've considered obnoxious two weeks ago.

Today, she would probably use the words: _'sexy as fuck'._

"Ready?" he asks. 

"All paid up, and _look_ , Rusty even threw in this nifty tire-pressure gauge key-chain." She twirls the ring around her pointer finger. 

"And it's not even your birthday."

Veronica takes his elbow as they walk back to the truck. "Aren't you going to ask what the damage was?" 

"Wasn't planning to. Why?"

She sighs. "Note to self. Find a way to break it to the guys – gently of course – that the money tree doesn't actually exist."

Logan gasps and covers his mouth. "Thanks for ruining my childhood. Next you'll try to tell me there's no Tooth Fairy or something."

Veronica grins and shakes her head. Rich boys. "Where'd Duncan disappear to?"

"Last-minute bathroom break." He points at the auto shop. Opening the rear door of the Explorer, he steps back and gestures to the backseat with a flourish. "So check it out."

Inside the vehicle, he's piled sleeping-bags and pillows across the bench seat to create a nest-like space. Soft duffel bags arranged in the foot wells, widen the surface area, granting extra room to stretch out. 

The gesture overwhelms her - in a good way. "What's this?"

"Thought you could nap while I drive. Since I know for a fact you only got like five minutes of sleep last..." He trails off and drops his eyes.

_You mean because I was too busy throwing myself at you?_

"Careful. I could get used to this kind of pampering." 

"I'm counting on it," he says softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes twinkle down at her, and she smiles, feeling light and unburdened. 

_You're going soft, Veronica._

A fat raindrop splats on the tip of Logan's nose, and he glances up, so utterly _offended_ that she can't help but cackle. 

She pats him on the arm. "Relax, pretty boy. Your hair is safe under that hat." 

Logan opens the driver's door, turning back to say, "It's heartwarming the way you constantly validate my beauty. My self-esteem will never suffer with you around." 

Veronica crawls into the stuffy truck pulling the door closed behind her. She kicks off her shoes and pivots around so that her feet are behind the passenger's seat. Plumping up the pillow under her, she nestles into the softness. 

"Comfy?" Logan asks.

"Mmmm...like being on a cloud."

He shifts to look at her around the head rest. "So hey, remember last week when we were driving through Arizona?"

"I remember desert. Everywhere. Why?"

"We were talking about what Lily would think about us being on the run."

She remembers the conversation now. "Yeah, we agreed that she would think it was the most fabulous thing ever."

"Right. Remember what you thought her advice to you would be?"

"Um...eat good food, wear amazing clothes, dance hard and get naked."

"Well, I wasn't going to mention the naked part, but last night covered the rest of it."

_Yes, let's forget about the almost naked part._

"But I _'called it a night before three men fell in love with me.'_ "

"Yeah, you missed that one by a hair." He holds his thumb and index finger about a centimeter apart. There's nothing cocky or sarcastic about his smile – it's almost bashful, and if they weren't sitting in a car, she expects he'd be toeing the ground.

Butterflies dance in her belly. _Oh, my._

"I had a great time," she says, _and where did that soft, girlish voice come from?_

"So did I." He looks as if he's going to something else, but the sky opens up in the drizzle changes to a downpour.

Running feet approach from outside. The passenger door flies open, and a bedraggled Duncan dives in. 

"Guess the heat wave broke," Logan says, turning the car key. 

"Ya think?"

Logan pauses before shifting into Drive. "Last chance. You sure you want to come with? I mean, I'm not trying to get rid of you or anything, but if you'd be happier staying here, I don't want to hold you back."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Duncan says, but he still looks unsure, and his eyes remained locked on the side mirror as they pull away.

Within minutes, they pass a large white wooden sign: **LEAVING BLUEBELL. COME BACK SOON.**  

The AC blasts, and the windshield wipers make a steady  _schwump schwump schwump._

It’s a little bittersweet.  Unlike Duncan, she could never settle in a town like Bluebell. She'd be too stifled by its rules and conventions, but their overnight stay had changed everything. 

Like she told Logan, she'd had a blast last night. But it wasn't just from meeting interesting people, wearing a pretty dress, and drinking fruity, frosty beverages.

She'd had a great time with _HIM_ \- dancing, tickling, escaping the jaws of a not-so-ravenous alligator. It had been almost like old times (except with the sexual tension cranked up to one-hundred). Call it ‘Heat Wave Fever’ or ‘loosening-up’ or whatever, but she'll remember their time in Bluebell for a long long time.

The truck's interior is chilly now and she covers up with the edge of a sleeping bag. She folds her pillow in half to get more comfortable and tries to get some sleep.

* * *

An hour later, she's still awake. With the last remnants of her hangover still clinging, lingering embarrassment over last night's behavior in their room, and this morning's stunning revelation, her mind is too restless for a nap.

There's no question that Logan did the right thing by pulling the brakes - she was in no condition for making decisions - but a part of her still wants to know what she's missing out on. That Echolls Magic that kept Lilly coming back over and over again – and incapacitates the decision-making skills of grown women. 

Now that he's left it up to her to set the pace for their...whatever...she'll probably never find out. 

That's the smaller part of what's keeping her awake. 

Because, although the knowledge was obtained by eavesdropping, all clues point to the possibility that Logan Echolls is in love with her. Present tense. And she has no idea what to do with that information. 

It's always bewildered her how wrong she'd been about the strength and depth of her initial connection to him. Even back then – still fresh-faced and optimistic – she hadn't been so impractical as to call it ‘love at first sight’, but it had felt monumental. 

If what he'd said to Dash Dewitt this morning had been his true assessment of the events, she has to reevaluate every perception she's held since meeting him. 

Moments of rejection. Moments when his flirting had seemed less teasing-buddy and more authentic. _Hey, whadya say we should ditch the Kanes and run away together?_  Moments she'd thought she was crazy for interpreting the expression in his eyes as love. 

And that's leaving out this past year. _Dysfunctional doesn't even begin to cover that shit._

She shifts onto her left side and closes her eyes again. 

The boys talk quietly in the front seat, and Veronica has been (mostly) successful at tuning them out. 

That is, until Logan says, "Have I mentioned that I'm going to be a dad?" 

Duncan spits out whatever liquefied vegetable he was in the process of sipping. "WHAT?" 

"You're cleaning that up, man," Logan points at the splatter on the glove compartment and hands him a napkin. "I said, I'm going to be a proud papa." 

"Who the hell did you knock up?" 

"Veronica is eight weeks pregnant – or eight months, depending on what she's wearing."

From her vantage point, the side of Duncan's face and neck darken to a deep red and he seems in danger of swallowing his tongue. 

"Shut up, Logan," she says. 

He glances up at the rearview and a smile spreads across his face. "Hey. You're still up?" 

"This is some kind of joke, right?" Duncan asks, "Eight weeks ago you were..." 

"Not even speaking." Veronica confirms. 

His rigid posture relaxes. "So this is some stupid cover story thing?" 

"Stupid?" Logan plays outraged. "Says the guy who told everybody last night that your father was a plastic surgeon and I'd had a nose job." 

Duncan laughs. "You think that's bad? I told AnnaBeth we were driving across the country to attend my ex-girlfriend's wedding."

"What's wrong with that?" Logan asks. 

"She asked why we broke up, and I ended up giving her the plot to one of your father's movies." 

"Which one?"

"Twisted Cravings." 

Veronica’s never seen the film – which is supposed to be a psychological thriller with a shocking twist ending – but from the withering glance Logan shoots him, she gathers it's a moronic choice for a cover story.

By necessity, keeping up a cover story requires lying. It's interesting however, that when Duncan lies, he invents a more exciting life than he's actually lived, while Logan's lies revolve around inventing a happy family.

_Is this what's missing most from their lives?_

Veronica intervenes. "I bought a cushioned pregnancy pad back in Bluebell as a disguise, and Logan is having WAY too much fun with the idea." 

"Why shouldn't I? I am the daddy, after all. Since we're engaged and everything." 

She rolls her eyes. "Has there ever been a situation that you didn't take too far, Logan?" 

He catches her eyes in the mirror, and she knows he's thinking about last night. She looks away.

"So that's why I saw you rubbing Veronica's belly across the square when I was saying goodbye to AnnaBeth?" 

Logan laughs. "I was talking to my imaginary spawn. It's not every day that you can knock somebody up without suffering any consequences." 

"The idea of you reproducing is terrifying," Duncan says. 

"I'd be a great dad." Logan pouts. "The perfect combination of fun and strict."

A wave of sadness overtakes over Veronica.

* * *

**Flashback - August, 2003**  
**Veronica**  
**Kane Estate**  
  
_"Okay Veronica, that comes to..." Lilly's finger runs down the magazine page and her lips move as she does the math in her head. "Ten points."_

_She circles a paragraph with her red pen and reads the results. " **Six to eleven points:** Shy Little Sister. Time to tune into this reality: Guys aren't telepathic. If you don't give him some love hints, you may never connect. You don't have to throw yourself at someone, but you can send surefire hints that you dig him. It sounds simple, but it works. Gather your confidence, crack a smile, and make eye-contact."_

_Veronica, stretched out across the bottom of Lilly's bed, glances up from a riveting magazine feature on Josh Hartnett's 'ideal dream date', and rolls her eyes. "Well then I guess it's a good thing that I already have a boyfriend."_

_Lilly flicks her hand, brushing off Veronica's response. "I wish I knew where I left that Teen Vogue from the other month. It had a 'Have You Outgrown Your Boyfriend' quiz I meant to show you. Hey, how long until I need to drive you home?"_

_Veronica lays her magazine aside, and sits up, checking the time on her cell. "Another hour or so."_

_She sets the phone down on Lilly's nightstand next to a thick red leather book with a gold satin ribbon sticking out._

_"Hey, you're using it?" She runs her fingers over the cover, tracing the deeply embossed Celtic heart just like she had the day she found it in a high-end book-store._

_"Of course I am. I would love it regardless, but because it's from you, I cherish it." Lilly tosses her magazine on the floor with a flick of the wrist. "And anyway, didn't you say, 'Every famous author needs a good journal'?"_

_Veronica smiles her appreciation. "I think I recall saying that. So how is the memoir coming?" She pronounces it like Lilly does: mem-wah._

_"It's a real page-turner, Veronica Mars," Lilly says. "It'll turn Neptune on its head. Want an advanced peek?"_

_"That's okay. I'll wait until it's topping the Bestseller lists."_

_"Probably a wise choice," Lilly says, standing and brushing cookie crumbs from her fuchsia skirt. "Wouldn't want to scandalize you or anything."_

_Lilly disappears into the attached bathroom, and Veronica returns to learning what it takes to catch Josh's Harnett's attention - "project confidence and be yourself", for the record._

_Guess you're out of luck if those qualities happen to contradict each other._

_From the bathroom comes a shouted, "YES!"_

_Veronica lifts her head. "Um...are you having a religious experience in there?"_

_"Got my period," Lilly calls back._

_"Okay? Do you always celebrate five days of torture?"_

_"Only this month."_

_"Why would you...Ohhhh." Veronica's stomach drops. "Lilly...?"_

_"Can we talk about it when I come out?"_

_"Yeah. That would probably be smart," she says. She stares numbly at a Shane West poster on the wall - the one Lilly refuses to admit looks just like Duncan because..."Gross Veronica, that's just creepy."_

_The toilet flushes. A faucet turns on. Turns off again. The door opens and a contrite-looking Lilly emerges. "Alright. Let's hear it."_

_She sighs. "What do you want me to say?"_

_"Whatever you're thinking. That I should have been more careful. That I'm only sixteen..."_

_Veronica tosses the magazine aside, stands, and wraps Lilly into her arms. "All I care about is that you're okay."_

_"Well, I am now," Lilly says in a hiccupy laugh. "False alarm, I guess." She pulls away, turning to her dressing table and taking a seat on the tufted bench. She plucks a ponytail holder from a silver Eiffel Tower shaped ring-holder._

_"So that's why you've seemed so 'off' the past few weeks?"_

_Lilly answers with a terse nod. "Three weeks. I tried not to think about it too much, but..." She shrugs._

_She doesn't seem okay. At all._

_Veronica searches for words as Lilly wrangles her hair back into a high ponytail with punishing strokes of her hairbrush._

_"Does Logan..."_

_Lilly's laugh is bitter. "I didn't want him to know."_

_"You thought he'd be an ass about it?"_

_Lilly meets her eyes in the mirror. "Well, he would've accused me of cheating, for one thing."_

_Veronica's features telegraph her outrage and Lilly laughs. "He's careful. He inspects his condoms before and after."_

_"More information than I ever wanted or needed, Lil."_

_"Anyway, we had that three-day breakup in June, so..."_

_So she'd been afraid it wasn't Logan's, and dealing with it all by herself for weeks._

_"Scoot over," Veronica hip-checks her to make room on the bench. She wraps an arm around Lilly and squeezes._

_"Gawd, can you even imagine Logan as a father?" Lilly asks._

_"Strangely enough, I can," Veronica says._

_"That's what I mean. He wouldn't even care if it was his. He'd use it handcuff me to him forever."_

_Veronica rests her chin on Lilly's shoulder, remaining quiet so she can get it all out._

_"I don't even like kids. They're loud and they stink, and my social life would be ruined. You know?" She stares down at her fingernails, but the mirror reflects wet eyelashes._

_"I know." Entwining their fingers together, Veronica visualizes sending strength to Lilly. "I love you no matter what. You know that, right?"_

_Lilly laughs again - that ugly, hollow laugh. "You shouldn't, Veronica. You wouldn't if you knew who I really am."_

_"I know exactly who you are."_

_Lilly stares at her lap. "I've done things..." she clutches her forehead for a moment before running her hand over her head. "I've done things that repulse even me. Things that would make you never speak to me again."_

_Veronica turns Lilly's chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. "Nothing you could do would make me never speak to you again."_

_Lilly lets out a hiccuping sob. "Sometimes...when I'm being pulled in every direction, and my parents are coming down on me, I need to...prove...that I can exert some kind of influence on my world. Or control. You know?"_

_"I think that's a universal need. Nothing to be ashamed of."_

_Lilly clutches her arm. "Sometimes...I need to prove that I can wrap people around my finger. People that aren't Logan."_

_"Not news to me, Lils."_

_"But the people..." Lilly's face is blotched and she looks like she needs to vomit. "Bad people."_

_Veronica pulls Lilly's head down on her shoulder and strokes her hair. "Shhhh. I'm here for you."_

_The sniffles eventually taper off and then stop. Lilly straightens up, laughs at her reflection. "Look at me, sniveling." She opens a vacu-sealed package of cleansing wipes and goes to work fixing her face._

 

Veronica gives up on napping and grabs a Skist from the mini-fridge. Logan meets her eyes in the mirror. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, but you look exhausted. Why don't I take a turn driving?"

 

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Interstate I75 - Florida**  
  
The utter blueness of water and sky gradually gives way to the rich greens of grass and forest as they leave the Gulf of Mexico behind and move into mainland Florida. 

Logan experiences a pang of sadness when they finally exit Interstate 10 for Interstate 75. After 2600 miles on the same road, it feels a bit like an old friend.   
  
Between himself and Veronica, they'd shaved almost two hours off their ten hour trip by the time they reached the halfway point, but Duncan is driving now, and his middle name is not 'Speedy'.   
  
Logan's eyes stray to the speedometer for the hundredth time, and he calculates their chances of making the last ferry out to Nicholas Key.   
  
If he wasn't so exhausted, he'd take another turn behind the wheel, but of the three of them, Duncan's the only one who got any sleep last night.   
  
He tries to be discreet as glances over his shoulder, but he can feel his features softening like a lovesick idiot. Veronica is stretched out sideways across the length of seat playing a handheld video game. The wig is gone, and her short hair waves softly around her face. An iPod rests on her stomach, but he can't see what she's listening to from this angle.  
  
Her tongue sneaks out of the side of her mouth - her "tell" when she's concentrating hard on beating an opponent - and it's never failed to captivate him.   
  
She's successful this time, because her posture relaxes and she exhales a ' _whew_ '. Her eyes lift to meet Logan's, and his cheeks warm at being caught adoring her.   
  
"Having fun?" he asks.   
  
She pulls out one of the ear buds, and the right side of her mouth lifts in the universal expression for _'meh'_. "As much fun as you can have trapped in a car all day."   
  
"Well then, you clearly haven't--" He trails off.   
  
_Maybe I should lay off the sex talk with DK in the car._  
  
And then there's the fact that I _told_ her I would lay off.   
  
Duncan hasn't spoken much in the last couple hours. He stares straight ahead, lost in his own thoughts and only sparing a dark glance now and then when Logan urges him to drive faster.   
  
_He's miserable, and I must be the biggest dick ever for being happy he came along._  
  
A true friend would have encouraged him to stay where he clearly belonged. In Wholesomeville, USA, with AnnaBarbera, or whatever her name was.   
  
Had Duncan fallen in love overnight? He certainly believes in love at first sight. They'd established that back when they were twelve, and Duncan has never been a paradigm-shifting kind of guy.   
  
This feels different, though. Duncan in love is red cheeks, goofy smiles and staring dreamily into space. In love with Veronica, at least. Today's introspection - if Logan had to define it - reads more like resolve with a bit of sadness thrown in. He's made his decision and is trying not to second-guess himself.   
  
Aside from the zings and pops coming from Veronica's game, the vehicle is completely, oppressively, silent.   
  
Logan stabs the power button for the radio, pressing scan repeatedly until he finds a channel playing Saliva's "Always". Like the masochist that he is, he leaves it on; allows it to take him back.   
  
_2002...this song on repeat...alone in bed...crying like a little bitch...Lilly...some other guy's cheap cologne on her neck...the yelling...the pleading...breaking up...making up...repeating the cycle._  
  
He can't even really blame Lilly.   
  
If this past year's conflict with Veronica has taught him anything, it's that HE'S the one who needs a little hate in his love. A little love in his hate.   
  
_I'm the common denominator._  
  
They both would have been better of never meeting him at all. And if he wants to make things work with Veronica - hell, to even get past the starting gate - he needs to cut that shit out.   
  
The song ends and the station goes to commercial.   
  
______________________________________ 

 

 

 

**[The iconic theme for "Entertainment Tonight" plays.]**  
  
**[Mary Hart]** Tune in to ET tonight to learn which middle-aged action star has been romantically linked to beloved ingénue, Lisa Loper!   
  
**[Soundbyte - male voice in a gossipy tone]** I couldn't believe my eyes when I caught them together! 

 

 

_Please not dad! Anybody but my dad._

 

 

 

 

  
**[Mary Hart]** And from Neptune, California. We've speculated about the Mars and Kane feud, but new information shows that its origins may be over twenty years in the making.   
  
**[Soundbyte - middle aged woman with a squeaky voice]** Oh yes. Lianne Mars - she was Reynolds then - and Jake Kane were the golden couple of our class. King and Queen of the prom. Cinderella and her prince. Everyone was sure they'd be married five minutes after graduation. When he married Celeste Conafen instead, we were shocked.   
  
**[Mary Hart]** These stories and more on tonight's ET. 

___________________________________________   
  
In the backseat, Veronica smashes buttons, laser-focused on her video game.   
  
_Earbuds. She didn't hear anything._  
  
Duncan stares out the window, oblivious.   
  
_Seriously? Did he completely tune out that commercial?_  
  
Duncan's dad and Veronica's mom, huh?   
  
Up until he'd seen the photographic proof of Jake Kane's extracurricular activities at the Camelot Motel, Logan had thought he was the last faithful husband in Neptune. Now, in the space of a week, he's learned of two additional women he's been with.   
  
_Unless...?_  
  
_Oh shit._  
  
That would explain Veronica's reticence to name the other woman at the motel, and Duncan's outright hostility at being questioned about it.   
  
_My God. It's like a soap opera!_  
  
And he would know. 

Logan started watching "Days of Our Lives" as a young child when his mother was cast as the love-starved and impetuous Billie Holiday Reed (and on more than one occasion he's pondered how his personality more closely resembles Lynn's character than Lynn herself). Billie left Salem in heartbreak years ago, but Logan's addiction to the show's melodrama and cheesy romances remains his secret shame to this day.   
  
On Days, when a long ago affair between two characters is revealed, it's only a matter of weeks before a secret love-child arrives on the scene.   
  
In real life, Lianne Mars couldn't possibly hide having an extra child. 

 _But she could pass one off..._  
  
He glances at Duncan and then back at Veronica. Sure, they both have blue eyes, but...no. 

 _Don't be ridiculous, Logan. Life is not a soap opera._  
  
They look nothing alike. And their parents would never let them date if there was even the smallest possibility.  
  
He tries to let it go, but little details keep niggling at the back of his brain.   
  
Just days ago - after listening to Jake's press conference - hadn't he been left with the impression that the elder Kanes were behind Duncan's breakup with Veronica? Hadn't Duncan seemed bereft and miserable after the breakup he himself had initiated? Hadn't he caught Duncan with his hands around his father's throat screaming Veronica's name?   
  
_Oh. My. God!_  
  
"Pull over the car."   
  
Duncan visibly startles at the sudden noise. "Dude we're on the freeway."   
  
"Pull. Over."   
  
"But..."   
  
"Pull the fuck over NOW."   
  
Duncan flinches, but doesn't argue further. "I just saw a sign for a rest stop coming up in half a mile."   
  
"Fine."   
  
The sounds from Veronica's video game halt abruptly and her fingers curl around the back of his seat. "Logan, what's going on?" she asks.   
  
His throat is thick and he can barely bring himself to look at her as he gestures for her to hold on. If he's wrong, they can all laugh about this later, and he'll happily endure months of ridicule for his closet soap opera habit.   
  
But if he's right, this is going to destroy her.   
  
_She would want to know the truth no matter what. Isn't that what she lives for?_  
  
The tick-tick-tick of the right turn signal seems amplified as they approach the pull-off.   
  
Of course, Logan still has his own secret to confess - that he wasn't actually in Tijuana when Lilly was murdered - but that can wait for now. He'll tell her in the next couple days. When things calm down .   
  
Duncan parks in the dead center of the rest stop. Straight ahead, a wide sidewalk leads back about 100 feet to the squat brick building housing the restrooms. At the far end, near the entrance back on to the highway, an eighteen wheeler is parked, the driver probably sneaking a nap before getting back on the road. Midway down, a harried-looking mother paces, yelling into her cell phone, while her three children eat sandwiches at a nearby picnic table.   
  
"You gotta pee, man? You should have gone in Pennsicola." Duncan says.   
  
Logan doesn't answer. The moment the vehicle is shifted into park, he jumps out, pulling open the rear door and holding out a hand for Veronica.   
  
"What's going on, Logan?"   
  
He speaks softly. "I need you to come out here. This is not something we should talk about in the car."   
  
"You're scaring me," she says, but accepts his hand and allows him to help her out.   
  
Duncan has circled around to their side and stands with his arms crossed. One heel rocks back and forth on the edge of the curb. "Dude, what's going on?"   
  
Now that they're here, Logan's not sure he should go through with this. He hesitates, eyes tracking the angry mother as she takes a baby wipe to each child's face. Roughly, as if to punish.   
  
_Bitch._  
  
"Logan?" Veronica's hand slides up his back.   
  
He exhales and turns to Duncan. "What's going on, is that we're going to talk about why you broke up with Veronica last year."   
  
"WHAT?" Duncan steps back, nearly tripping on the curb. "No. We talked that night you went out with Carolee, and I told her it's not something I'll ever be comfortable discussing."   
  
_Way to remind her what a stupid ass I was the day we kissed._

Logan's eyes narrow into an 'I-mean-business' stare. "You tell her or I will."   
  
Duncan posture is like an animal backed into a corner. "I don't know what it is you think you know, but..."   
  
Veronica's fingers tighten on the back of Logan's shirt, but her eyes focus on Duncan, hard and glittering.   
  
She wants answers. This is the right decision.   
  
Logan sighs. You had your chance. "What I think I know - what I _suspect_ \- is that your father and Lianne Mars have been fucking around for the better part of twenty years."   
  
Veronica gasps, and Duncan takes another step back, looking as if he's about to puke. 

"Off and on," he whispers. 

 _Fuck! I wanted to be wrong._  
  
Duncan doesn't elaborate, so Logan presses on. "Did your parents force you to break up with Veronica?"   
  
Duncan silently nods.   
  
_You're going to make me drag this out?_   "Did your parents make you break up with Veronica because she's your sister?"   
  
Duncan turns away. He leans both forearms on the hood of the truck and bows his head as if praying. "It's a possibility," he answers so quietly Logan almost misses it.   
  
"But..." All the color has drained from Veronica's face and she seems to be struggling to get her words out."...we dated for a year. And we..." She dry heaves.   
  
_Fuck._  
  
She stumbles to the grass and falls to her knees.   
  
_Oh God, why did I do this to her?_  
  
Logan goes to her, crouching down and smoothing her hair back from her face. He rubs circles on her back while she throws up her lunch.   
  
He turns his face away, offering her a small measure of privacy.   
  
Down the way, the young mother drags a crying toddler to her car, taking no care to be gentle. Five-to-one odds the kid ends up with a dislocated shoulder within the next year.   
  
He itches to interfere, but what would be the point? The hag would only take it out on her kids later. He's helpless to do anything. Helpless to stop parents from hurting their children. Helpless to make things better for Veronica as she empties her stomach on the grass.   
  
When she can't puke any more, he retrieves her duffel from the truck and steers her to the restroom, ignoring the "Ladies" sign and following her right in.   
  
It's a large bathroom with pale gray floor-to-ceiling tiles and stainless steel stall doors. Logan sits on a slatted wooden bench, while Veronica stares at herself in the mirror - searching her face for signs of Duncan, or Jake, or maybe Keith Mars. He doesn't know how to help her, so he remains silent.   
  
Finally, Veronica shakes her head, as if she's reached her self-imposed time limit for wallowing, and a look of determination comes over her face. She peels off her shirt, tossing it to Logan who stuffs it in an empty plastic bag and hands her a fresh heather gray tee shirt. While she dresses, he lays out her toothbrush, toothpaste, and a plastic wrapped cup he'd taken from one of the motels. He snatches a handful of paper towels from the dispenser, wets them down, and gently wrings out the excess water before handing them to Veronica to use as a makeshift washcloth.   
  
She surveys his work with a raised eyebrow and a faint smirk. "Logan Echolls, the caretaker. Who would've guessed?"   
  
He drops his eyes to the floor. "It's the least I can do, considering I caused this."   
  
"No!" she says sharply. "Duncan caused this. Actually, my mom did. And...him."   
  
He counts ceramic tiles while she brushes her teeth, making it to 349 before she speaks again. "How did you figure it out?"   
  
He glances up to the mirror where her reflection scrubs away her eye makeup. "Radio commercial for Entertainment Tonight. Some woman was talking about Lianne and Jake - Prom King and Queen and voted most likely to be wedded to each other."   
  
"Prom Queen?" Veronica screws up her nose. "Gross!"   
  
An uneasy snicker escapes him, "So being crowned prom queen is not at the top of your list of goals?"   
  
"I think I'm more likely to taser the prom queen," she says. "Go on."   
  
"Right. I guess when I combined that information with the fact that both you and Duncan refused to talk about Jake's...visitor at the Camelot, my suspicion that the Kanes forced the breakup, and Duncan's attitude after the breakup, it all kind of clicked into place."   
  
"We'll make a P.I. out of you yet, kid," she says in a Bogart accent, tossing the wet paper towels in the trash and reaching into her bag.   
  
_Sure. If you ever need to run your theories through soap opera logic, I'm your man._  
  
She brushes out her hair, makes a deep side part, and pulls each side back into a low pigtail at her neck.   
  
When she turns around, she's twelve-year-old Veronica again, and Logan's heart aches. He's on his feet before he can think, pulling her into his arms and crushing her to his chest.   
  
"Logan...?"   
  
"I'm so sorry," he whispers into her hair. "I should have left it alone. I shouldn't have forced the issue."   
  
She hesitates for a moment, and then her arms come around him squeezing just as tightly.  They remain frozen for nearly a minute, before Veronica steps back swiping away a stray tear with a nervous laugh. 

A flash of color catches Logan's attention.   
  
"What's this?" He reaches for her wrist and examines the new rubber bracelet - candy pink and smooth under his thumb. No embossed lettering. "I've never seen a plain one before."   
  
She glances away, almost shyly. "I found it at that gas station in Mobile. The color..." she pauses and lets out a self-deprecating laugh. "I guess the color reminds me of who I used to be. Before Lilly died. I thought it could be like a bridge to my past. To the girl who was still able to trust people."   
  
Guilt burns like acid in his gut. "I'm the one who ruined that for you."   
  
Veronica's eyes narrow and her voice cuts like shards of broken glass. "Right. It was all you. Guess that lets Duncan off the hook. And my mom. Jake Kane and Celeste. Don Lamb and Abel-fucking-Koontz. The other 09ers at school and every adult who ignored what was happening. Because only the mighty Logan Echolls gets to take credit for ruining me."   
  
Was it even a week ago when she'd accused him of being the force that turned her into who she is today?  "Veronica..."   
  
"I'm _trying_ , Logan. I'm trying to learn to trust again." She moves closer so that he's forced to look into her eyes - still luminous and wet. "I want to be able to trust you."   
   
His heart speeds up when he intuits her meaning, and all he can do is pull her close again and breathe her in. Marshmallows and coconut and commercial hand soap. He kisses the top of her head and whispers, "I'll be worthy. From now on. I promise."   
  
Veronica pulls away and gives him a small hopeful smile. "I believe you."   
  
He swallows around the golf ball sized lump in his throat and smiles back. "Um...there's one more thing. Before we go back out there."   
  
"One more thing?"   
  
"Yeah, since we're working on trust, I have one more confession to make."   
  
Veronica squeezes her eyes closed for a moment moving her lips as if saying a silent prayer and then levels her gaze upon Logan. "Is it something you did to me?"   
  
"No. Not at all."   
  
"On a scale of one to ten, how likely is it to destroy my world?"   
  
"Um...one? Two maybe, since you hate lies.  It's a big one."   
  
Veronica exhales in relief. "In that case, it can wait. Haven't we dealt with enough drama today?"   
  
"Yeah." It comes out like a giggle. A manic fucking giggle.   
  
She squeezes his hand, grabs her bags from the counter, and exits the restroom.   
  
In the lobby, she stops to inspect the vending machines, finally sighing. "I'm just not hungry. At all."   
  
"And hell has officially frozen over."   
  
She laughs and elbows him in the ribs. It's a forced laugh, but she's trying.   
  
They push open the double doors and step squinting out into the sunlight. In the parking lot, Duncan slouches against the front bumper of the truck waiting for them. The angry mother is gone, but a Dodge SUV is now parked near their Explorer.   
  
To the right, a group of guys in their late teens/early twenties lounge on a nearby picnic table, smoking weed. Between the six of them, Logan counts three buzz-cuts, two pairs of camouflage shorts, four black concert tees, and one chin beard.   
  
One of them - a tall guy in jean shorts and a wife beater stands with one foot on the bench seat. With his curly white-blond hair, he resembles a poodle overdue for a trip to the groomers. He eyes Veronica up and down lasciviously, and Logan slides an arm around her.   
  
He rubs her back gently as they walk back to the truck, says in a lowered voice, "You know, blood doesn't really matter. He's still your dad no matter what."   
  
"I know," She leans into him. "Keith Mars _is_ my father." She's silent for a second, and then, "What is he...?"   
  
Logan glances up to see Duncan barreling towards them with fast, aggressive strides.  
  
"What the fuck?"  
  
"Back. The. Hell. Away." Duncan demands and the steel in his voice sends chills down Logan's spine.   
  
Three extra shadows merge with theirs and Logan looks over his shoulder to see the men from the picnic table closing in around them.   
  
"Veronica Mars," The Poodle calls out. "Stay and talk for a while."  
  
Adrenaline floods Logan's body and he spins around, maneuvering Veronica behind him. "Walk away, guys."  
  
Experience tells him to get right up in the guy's face; show him how few fucks he has to give. Coming across as crazy isn't a big stretch of his acting abilities, and It's worked in the past to disarm situations like this.   
  
Veronica's here though, and he won't risk leaving her undefended. He hangs back, assessing the situation.   
  
"Make us walk away," The Poodle says. He seems to be the leader of this group.   
  
Logan looks him over, automatically cataloging dozens of ways to eviscerate the dude, from the threadbare dirty wife-beater visible through his unbuttoned shirt, to his albino Orphan Annie hair, to the amateur-looking scorpion tattoo that barely covers the swirly letters of the name 'Carly'.   
  
By sheer force of will, he doesn't escalate.   
  
Sure, he can take this guy - he has several inches on him and a lifetime of experience shutting out pain. But this isn't Weevil and the PCHers, and the other five guys won't just stand around watching.   
  
Two of the guys - Chin Beard and the Kid Rock impersonator - are average-sized. A third guy, dressed in a Nine Inch Nails tee shirt, barely clears 5"5', but looks twice as mean as the others. Have to watch out for those short guys with something to prove. The final guy is immense. At least four inches taller than Logan, with a wallet-on-a-chain tucked into his front pocket and dull blue eyes.   
  
_Better take him out first. Everyone else will be easier._  
  
This is his fault. If he hadn't been so insistent, they would've driven right past the rest stop. But he wanted be a hero. To gift Veronica with what she values so much - knowledge. Now look where they are.   
  
"V, go get in the truck and lock the doors," he says through gritted teeth.   
  
"Like hell I will!"   
  
Of course she won't. She probably thinks a stun gun will be enough to get them out of this.   
  
"She's not going anywhere," The Poodle says. He pulls a switchblade and gestures for his friends to surround them. "I know who you are, and if there's a reward for you, we're getting all of it."   
  
"That's not going to happen." Logan's pulse hammers in his throat. He shuffles backwards, trying to prevent the goons from getting behind them while still keeping Veronica shielded.  
  
Shockingly, Duncan steps between him and the other men.   
  
_What the fuck are you doing, Donut?_  
  
Duncan's hand slips behind his back and raises the hem of his shirt revealing the grip of Danny Boyd's gun.   
  
_Oh..._  
  
Cold fingers of dread crawl down Logan's spine and he should probably make a grab for the gun before DK fucks everything up.   
  
Too late. Duncan draws the pistol and aims two-handed at the ringleader.   
  
The Poodle's hands lift. "Hey. Take it easy, Buddy. Nobody needs to get hurt here."   
  
Duncan's hands shake and his voice trembles. "Back away."   
  
The Poodle steps back, but the Walking Napoleon Complex attempts to move in from their left.   
  
Logan's elbow takes him in the nose with a sickening crunch, and he goes down, hands covering his bloody face.   
  
From behind, the crackle of a taser, a shriek, and then Chin Beard joins his tiny friend on the ground.   
  
Kid Rock and the Linebacker wisely stay where they are.   
  
He turns to see if Veronica's okay, and she looks up at him with intense, predatory eyes reminiscent of that day of the car chase when he'd thought she was about to maul him.   
  
_Right. Adrenaline junkie. One of these days I'm going to..._  
  
He slides an arm around her, gives her a momentary squeeze, and releases.  
  
Duncan blows out a series of short breaths and his gaze darts back and forth between their adversaries. If they don't do something about him, this could get even uglier.   
  
Veronica notices and touches his arm. "Hey," she speaks softly and calmly. "Why don't you let Nolan hold the gun? He's done this before."  
  
"Yeah. Okay." Duncan visibly relaxes as Logan takes the weapon away. "Good idea."  
  
That threat neutralized, Veronica takes control of the situation. "You two. Go stand by your friends."  
  
Logan turns the gun on the two injured parties, and they get up and join the others.   
  
"I think you broke my nose, man," Napoleon whines.   
  
"Good."  
  
"You. Steve Sanders," Veronica points at The Poodle. "Toss the knife."  
  
_Who the hell is Steve Sanders?_  
  
The knife hits the grass with a muffled thunk.  
  
"Now I want all of you to empty your pockets onto the ground."  
  
"Suck my dick, bitch," Napoleon says, gesturing between his legs.   
  
Logan cocks the safety and the little shithead drops a wallet, a phone, and a set of keys onto the ground at his feet.   
  
Four more wallets, one money clip, two sunglasses, three sets of keys, a utility knife, and five cell phones accumulate in front of the group.   
  
"All of the pockets," Veronica says, hands on her hips.   
  
Three joints and a long strip of condoms join the pile, courtesy of Kid Rock.   
  
Logan snickers. "Feeling lucky, man?"  
  
The guy shrugs. "Always, dude."  
  
"Okay, I need all of you to take three steps backward."   
  
Napoleon looks like he wants to argue, but a glance at Logan changes his mind. He follows instructions like the others.   
  
"You." She points to The Poodle. "Lose the shirt."   
  
"Why?" He leers, undoing the bottom two buttons on his reddish short-sleeved shirt. "You wanna see--"  
  
"Don't finish that sentence," she says. "You're repulsive."  
  
"Your loss, bitch," he slides the shirt off his shoulders and drops it in the pile, revealing several holes in his wife-beater in addition to the dirt spots.   
  
"Honey? Can I pistol whip him?" Logan asks.   
  
Veronica grins. "Not unless he makes a move."   
  
She touches Duncan on the arm and hands him a napkin from her bag. "Gather up the phones and keys for me.  Wrap them up in that shirt and tie it into a bundle."  
  
"What about the money and wallets?"   
  
"No. We're keeping them from following us, not robbing them," she says.   
  
"Couldn't we just take out the sim cards? Or pull the batteries?" Logan asks under his breath, while Duncan collects the loot.   
  
"You can call 911 without a sim card, and not all carriers use them, anyway." Veronica whispers. "As for the batteries, they can't be removed in at least two of those phones. We're better off taking them."  
  
"You learn something new every day," Logan says.   
  
He can't lie. Her knowledge and skill at being shifty is a turn on.  
  
Duncan returns with the makeshift parcel, handing it to Veronica.   
  
She recoils for a moment - the scent of body odor and heavy cologne emanates putridly from the shirt - and squeezes Logan's shoulder. "Can you hold the gun on them until we're safely in the truck."   
  
"With pleasure."   
  
"Hey," Napoleon Complex yells, as Veronica starts walking away. "You can't take our phones and our keys.  We'll be stranded here."  
  
She turns back. "I suggest you start walking." She points towards the rest stop's exit. "That way. As long as you don't do anything stupid, you'll find your things down the road." She wiggles the bundle. "Just follow your nose."   
  
They don't speak until they're a almost two miles away from the rest stop, at which point Veronica instructs Duncan to pull onto the freeway's shoulder. Logan tosses the bundle onto the grass and they pull away again. 

 

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Interstate I75 - Florida**  
  
The needle creeps up to eighty-five and Duncan's insides feel like they're vibrating. He's never driven this fast before. It's never been necessary.   
  
Their head start doesn't mean anything if those assholes call the police.   
  
Logan insists that they won't. They're high, in possession of drugs, and were committing a crime at knife point.   
  
Veronica's less convinced. They only have to stash the weapon, the joints, and commit to a believable story.   
  
What it comes down to is time. Will they keep walking until they locate their phones? Or will they hang around the rest stop and borrow a phone from the first motorist to arrive?  
  
Duncan had been leaning against the front of the Explorer - mentally flagellating himself for not coming clean when he still had a chance - when the other vehicle arrived, taking the spot to their left.  
  
Six guys had spilled out of the four doors, laughing and bickering and transferring beer into empty Big Gulp cups.   
  
The short one saw Duncan first. Ready for a fight and already preparing his _'what-are-you-looking-at?'_  posture, he'd paused before speaking, mean little eyes widening. Seeing too much. He'd caught up to his blond friend, whispering, and they'd both turned back to stare.   
  
Duncan hadn't a doubt that they recognized him. Veronica and Logan would be even more recognizable when they returned from the bathroom. He had to do something.   
  
As the group of guys walked away, he'd moved to the back of the vehicle and popped the trunk. The gun was in the same place where he'd stumbled across it yesterday - tucked into the middle bath towel in a stack of five. He'd shoved it into the back of his jeans and returned to the front of the vehicle, prepared to protect his friends before they could be ambushed.   
  
He doesn't want to imagine where they'd be right now if he hadn't been ready.   
  
It takes fifteen minutes for his hands to stop shaking. Thirty, before he can exhale. Nobody is coming after them.   
  
The atmospheric shift in the vehicle occurs gradually - from the heart-racing adrenaline of their escape to this suffocating gloom.   
  
_We're all thinking about it now._  
  
_Veronica is my sister, and our parents allowed us to date for almost a year before stepping in._  
  
Each sniffle from the back seat is a hot poker to his heart. 

 _Everything_ he'd done had been to avoid ever having to put her through this.  To protect her from ever having to live with this knowledge.   

Logan sits in the passenger seat. Shell-shocked. 

 _Don't know what he has to be so screwed up about. He's the one who forced this out into the open._  
  
_Why didn't I stay in Bluebell?_  
  
He'd spent most of last night considering the idea, still undecided when he fell asleep. At some point during wee hours of the morning, he'd been visited in his dream by his sister. 

* * *

_"Wake up!"_  
  
_"Lilly?"_  
  
_She was costumed in a green Scarlett O'Hara hoop skirt as wide as the dresser, and her hair was parted in the center with the sides rolled up and pinned on top of her head. A hint of red seeped through on the left side._  
  
_He rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed, while Lilly paused to admire herself in the mirror, pushing her fluttery sleeves off her shoulders and adjusting her neckline to display maximum cleavage._  
  
_"Well, I do declayah, Daddy's gonna need a stick to beat off all of my gentleman callahs," she drawled. "Don't you think Mama would just have the vapahs if I convinced them to duel over me at dawn?"_  
  
_He rolled his eyes. "You do realize people don't talk like that in real life, right?"_  
  
_"Fiddle dee dee." Lilly waved him off and flounced onto the bed between himself and AnnaBeth. She tossed both legs straight up in the air like an old pinup girl, and tilted her right calf to better appreciate her ruffled knee-length underwear. "Oh yeah. I totally could've worked this look."_  
  
_"Why are you here?"_  
  
_She didn't answer, instead dropping her legs and rotating her head to the right. "Who's the hottie?"_  
  
_"Her name is AnnaBeth, and it's not what you think."_  
  
_"Trust me, Donut, I know you too well to think anything of the sort. Nice rack, though. You think she likes girls?"_  
  
_He groaned. "Come on, Lil. I like this girl."_  
  
_"Of course you do. Unfortunately, she's all wrong for you."_  
  
_"What's wrong with her?" Already teetering on the edge of the mattress, Duncan gave up and moved to the bottom of the bed, careful not to pin down his sister's dress._  
  
_"Nothing at all," Lilly brushed a thick strand of hair out of AnnaBeth's face. "She's sweet, classy, just the right amount of sass, and a hidden core of steel. A perfectly acceptable Veronica-imitation."_  
  
_"She's nothing like Veronica."_  
  
_"Oh, you're right. She's a redhead and speaks with a drawl. Totally different." She rolled her eyes. "Get it through your head. Veronica was never right for you, and neither are her clones. And don't think I don't know about your crush on Meg Manning."_  
  
_"So, what? I should just give up completely? Join a monastery?"_  
  
_"Don't be ridiculous - the color brown totally washes you out." She lifts a glass jar filled with botanical stuff, sniffs through the holes in the lid, scrunches up her nose, and returns it to the nightstand. "That Lemon girl could have been a perfect match. Of course, if I were alive, I would've hated her guts. But I could have come around. Grudgingly."_  
  
_Unsurprisingly, she'd named the scariest of the Belles. "Why Lemon? I barely even spoke with her."_  
  
_"For many reasons, the most personally satisfying being the idea of our mother trying to scare her off. Lemon might be the one woman formidable enough to force Celeste to retreat."_  
  
_Duncan laughed. "While the idea holds a certain appeal, Lemon is already in a long-term relationship."_  
  
_Lilly pushed herself up, straightened her wide skirt, and returned to the mirror. She plucked a fancy hat from thin air, and placed it on her head. "Relax, I wasn't seriously suggesting you pursue Lemon. Just giving you an idea of the kind of girl I would pick for you. You're leaving Bluebell, anyway, so it doesn't matter."_  
  
_"Am I?" he asked._  
  
_She adjusted the hat to the left, to the right, and finally to the back. Satisfied, she tied the green satin sash under her chin and turned around, suddenly serious._  
  
_"This is it, Duncan. Two choices. Stay in Bluebell, and remain the same naïve, oblivious, 'nice guy' you've always been. Date the ingénue, delude yourself that this is enough. That this satisfies you and can meet your needs for the rest of your life."_  
  
_"Or?"_  
  
_"Leave with Logan and Veronica tomorrow. Face the unknown and become something new. Someone greater.  This experience happened for a reason, Donut. Make it count."_

* * *

He'd woken with his decision already made and AnnaBeth held snugly in his arms.   
  
She'd drifted off to sleep during his third sketch. Not wanting to disturb her, he'd covered her up and gotten comfortable on top of the covers. But at some point during the night, she'd closed the gap without waking him.   
  
Before he could extricate himself, she'd opened her eyes and smiled. "Morning"  
  
"Morning," he'd mumbled. "I'm so sorry. I have no idea how we ended up like this."   
  
"It's okay, silly. Nothing to apologize for. You were a perfect gentleman."   
  
_That's me. Always the gentleman._  
  
It explains Logan and Veronica. Both times he'd woken to find them cuddling had been after they'd gone to bed angry, so they're probably just reaching out in their sleep. It's nothing to worry about.  _Although that sleeping arrangement will probably change once we're on Mr. Echolls' yacht. With two staterooms, two guesses who's going to end up on the couch._  
  
He'd shared his B &B breakfast with AnnaBeth, and then - not quite ready yet to say goodbye - they'd gone for coffee at Cuppa Joe's. They'd tried to keep the mood light and airy, but his chest had ached when he kissed her goodbye.   
  
He still thinks she might be the perfect girl for him. He has her email address and promised to keep in touch.  Maybe someday, once his new identity has been established and his face is no longer in the headlines, he might find a way to make it work with her.   
  
Logan shifts sideways in the passenger's seat to check on Veronica in the back. "She's sleeping." he whispers.   
  
"Not surprising. I heard you guys all last night running around and shrieking."   
  
"Tickle fight," Logan says distractedly. "And she started it."   
  
"AnnaBeth thought it was cute."   
  
This catches Logan's attention. "AnnaBeth spent the night in your room?"   
  
"It wasn't like that."   
  
"How was it?"   
  
"I was sketching her." He mimes holding a pencil with his right hand.   
  
Logan face-palms. "You had a beautiful woman in your hotel room, and all you did was sketch her?"   
  
"You had a beautiful woman in your room and all you did was tickle her."   
  
_Why the hell did I say that?_  
  
Logan's mouth falls open, his bottom lip shifts to begin forming words, hesitates, and then morphs into one of his _'I-can't-believe-those-words-just-came-out-of-your-mouth'_ smiles.   
  
"Let me get this straight. Are you suggesting I should be doing more than tickling with Veronica?"   
  
"No! God, no. I was just being defensive about Annabeth and spoke too quickly."   
  
"I see." Logan draws out the word, and something in his eyes niggles at Duncan's consciousness.   
  
_Disappointment? He wasn't hoping I would encourage him to molest my...ex-girlfriend/true love/sister...was he?_  
  
_Stop it, Duncan. He's your best friend. You need to stop doubting him all the time._  
  
Silence rolls in again.  
  
Between the disaster at the rest stop and her closed-off demeanor, he hasn't had an opportunity to apologize to Veronica, yet. Somehow, 'I'm sorry' doesn't seem like nearly enough.   
  
Logan's presence isn't helping, he can't seem to decide from day-to-day whether he's Veronica's chief protector or antagonistic nemesis. One minute they're fighting, the next they're a united front against the world.  _Including me._    
  
_I'll catch her alone tomorrow to properly express my regrets. She has to know my intentions were honorable._  
  
He glances to his right to find Logan scowling at him again.   
  
"If you have something to say, go ahead and say it."   
  
"Dude, you don't want me to say what I'm thinking right now."   
  
"Go ahead man. Get it off your chest." His voice is more belligerent that he feels.   
  
Logan glances to the back seat to make sure Veronica is still asleep, and then turns back, eyes blazing. "Your sister? Your fucking sister?" 

"And?"   
  
"And you let me treat her that way?" Hands lift, fingers spread wide. "You let all of us treat her that way?"   
  
"Wait. You're trying to blame _me_ for your actions? I never asked you - or anyone else - to go after her."  
  
"You should've stopped me." Logan whisper-shouts.   
  
"Own your own behavior Logan. I'm not your fucking keeper."   
  
"She's your sister. Look at me and Trina."   
  
"That's supposed to be an example?" Duncan sneers. "You can't stand Trina."   
  
"Exactly. That's my point. I don't even get along with my sister, but I'd kick anybody's ass who tried to disrespect her."   
  
He's not lying. Duncan was there the night Logan caught Trina's C-Lister boyfriend with another woman. It had taken himself, Dick, John, and Casey to drag him out of the club before things could get physical.   
  
He stares out at the highway fumbling for the words to express how different the two situations were. Logan had never been in love with Trina. He'd never experienced that kind of shame.   
  
Logan breaks the silence. "Look man. I was horrible to Veronica. I can't even say it 'just happened'. I looked at her one day and consciously decided that she needed to suffer - for twisted reasons that couldn't possibly make sense to anybody else. I do own that. Every single day."   
  
"Dude..." Duncan begins, but Logan cuts him off.   
  
"But all you had to do was say one time, _'Hey, that's my sister. Leave her alone.'_ , and I would have stopped. I'm your best friend."   
  
"Really, Logan?" Duncan lets out a bitter laugh. "Imagine our places were switched. Imagine that the girl you were in love with turned out to be your secret sister, and that the entire year you dated has now become twisted into something dirty and shameful. Then imagine that your best friend is a fucking jackass. Would you hand over that kind of ammunition to somebody like you?"

Logan's forehead furrows and his eyes narrow. "When have I ever used anything you told me as ammunition against you?"   
  
"Off the top of my head, Homecoming last year. Something about taking myself in hand after cheerleading tryouts?"   
  
"Oh...that." A hint of Logan's usual smirk comes out of hiding.   
  
Duncan sighs. "It hurt, Logan. Every single time I saw her, it hurt."   
  
"It hurt me too." 

"That's different. You weren't the one battling inappropriate romantic feelings for her. I was afraid to even be near her."   
  
Logan doesn't answer - just rotates his head to stare out the window.   
  
Duncan flexes his hands on the steering wheel, and thumbs idly at the Cruise Control buttons.   
  
Logan is partially right. He didn't need to confess to the incest, but he should have at least broached a discussion about leaving Veronica alone. His half-hearted reactionary attempts had been too little too late.   
  
He doesn't even want to think about what his failure to protect her might say about the kind of person he is.  
  
_Was. This is our fresh start and I'm not that guy anymore._  
  
A whimper comes from the backseat and Logan is instantly alert.   
  
Veronica cries out. "No. Don't. I don't want to."   
  
Logan is out of his seat, pushing into the back seat.   
  
Duncan watches in the rearview as he lifts Veronica just enough to allow him to stretch the length of the back seat and then rolls her up against his side.   
  
_Is she thinking about her attempted rape, or making love to me at Shelly's party. Guess that moment is tainted forever for her now._  
  
"Lo?" her sleepy voice says.   
  
"S'okay, V. I've got you. Go back to sleep."   
  
Duncan watches him kiss her forehead in the mirror.  

 _It's so unfair.  He shouldn't be the one who fixes things._    
  
Logan's voice is quiet. "I'll keep you safe. You and my little imaginary fetus."   
  
A groan bubbles up in Duncan's throat, and he rolls his eyes.   

* * *

**Day Eight**  
**Nicholas Key, Florida**  
  
The Nicholas Key ferry is smaller than Logan remembered - or he's bigger. The wheelhouse hugs the left side of the vessel, leaving room to transport about a dozen vehicles in the four yellow-painted parking lanes.   
  
The boat's motor thrums and the vibrations resonate through his blue molded-plastic seat. Shaded by an overhang, he sips a Sprite from the vending machine and splits his attention between the tri-fold colored map of the island and Veronica.   
  
She stands at the front of the observation deck staring out at the water. The light brown hair of her wig blows forward around her face, and her fingers curl around the metal railing. Her shoulders tremble occasionally, as if she's trying to hide that she's crying.  
  
Logan's torn between respecting her need for space and his ache to comfort her.   
  
_I am the biggest asshole ever. They're both miserable because I couldn't leave well enough alone._  
  
They'd arrived with a mere ten minutes to spare before the last trip of the day. Channeling an air of _'young, rich, and bored'_ while the attendant examined their island credentials, he'd only exhaled once the man moved on.   
  
The ocean breeze cools his skin and after surviving twenty-four hours of a Bluebell heatwave, he'll never complain about hot weather again.   
  
Veronica glances over her shoulder. "What are you doing back there?"   
  
"Admiring the view."   
  
"You can see it better from here."   
  
"Not that view." Logan winks and pushes himself to his feet.   
  
Veronica tilts her head and a slow smile spreads across her face. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "You can do better than that."   
  
"I'll keep practicing." He joins her at the railing, arm sliding around her waist. "Let me know when I'm succeeding."   
  
"Where's Duncan?" Her eyes are pink-tinged, but she's putting on a strong face.  
  
"Never got out of the truck. Said he wanted to close his eyes and rest for a few minutes."   
  
Veronica nods, steals his soda and finishes it off. She hands back the empty can, and he tosses it in the nearby trashcan.   
  
They stand, companionably silent until the island comes into view - isolated, partially-wooded, and lusciously, verdantly green.   
  
"See that mansion?" He points to an immense Mediterranean-style home on hill, surrounded by acres of manicured lawns and guest cottages.  
  
"The one with three pools? Let me guess? Friends of yours?"  
  
He laughs. "Hardly. That's the Quartermaine Mansion."  
  
"Quartermaine? You mean like the railroad and publishing empire? Partied with the other robber barons back in the day?"   
  
"Some people call them 'captains of industry'," Logan says. "But yeah, those Quartermaines."   
  
The vessel slows for the approach and a strange sort of anticipation builds in his belly. "You ready?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go." 

* * *

  
The Explorer sticks out painfully among the island's Beemers, Jags, and Lexuses.   
  
_Or would that be Lexi?_  
  
Logan guides Duncan - via the map - to the nearest marina, but he can tell by looking it's the wrong one.  Surrounded on three sides by restaurants and boutiques. It's a location for those who want to be seen.   
  
His father purchased the yacht as a place to bring women. Even in a discrete place like this, a very recognizable - and married - man like Aaron knows not to parade around his side-action.   
  
Another four-minute drive brings them to their destination. A large stone monument sign spells out "HUNTINGTON MARINA AND YACHT CLUB" in a wide Copperplate font, below the logo - a single curling wave over a sixteen-point compass.   
  
Duncan parks in the Visitor's lot, and they each retrieve a duffel bag from the trunk.   
  
Next to the entrance, Logan stops and scans a Plexiglas-covered map sign for the location of their slip.   
  
The office door swings open and a man walks out. "How ya guys doing? Can I help you find anything?"   
  
He approaches with a slow, rolling gait. Several inches shorter than the boys, his frame is round and his blue marina-logoed polo shirt stretches over an ample belly. He reminds Logan of the 'who's-on-first' comedian - _What's his name, Costello?_  - only older and more sun-weathered.   
  
Logan smiles and slips into 'affable-rich-boy-without-a care'. He gestures to the map. "Sure, I'm just trying to locate my dad's boat."   
  
"May I?" the man asks, taking the marina keycard from Logan's hand.   
  
"Slip 38? Follow me." He lifts Veronica's duffel from her shoulder and winks. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't carry her own bags." He doesn't give her time to protest, simply begins walking.   
  
They hurry to catch up.   
  
"My name is Burt Dwyer, by the way. I'm the Dockmaster here."   
  
"I'm Nolan," Logan says. "And this is my fiancee, Vickie, and her brother, Declan."  
  
The man doesn't stop moving to shake hands, but it comes across as efficient rather than rude. He points out some of the amenities as they walk - the office, the clubhouse with pool, a café, a bar & grill, a marina store.They follow him to a ramp leading down to the well-maintained pier.   
  
Veronica inhales and Duncan lets out a whistle.   
  
Docks curve out into the ocean in a shape resembling a four-pronged trident.  _Which, I suppose would make it a quad...something._    
  
The wide span between rows allows space for some of the largest yachts Logan's ever seen. At least fifteen super-yachts, and - at the far end - two mega-yachts. He estimates a total of no more than fifty vessels docked below.   
  
"I expected more boats for some reason," Logan says.   
  
The man nods, as if he's heard this before. "We're a private marina. We remain small in order to provide unparalleled services to our customers."  
  
"Good to know."   
  
_"Slot thirty-eight...slot thirty-eight..."_  Burt repeats under his breath as his feet thump down the ramp. "That's the Cruisers motor yacht? Fifty-four footer?"  
  
_Shit, is this a test? If I say 'yes', will he catch me in a lie?_  
  
"Nice!" Duncan steps in with the save. "Sounds like something your father would choose."   
  
"One of the 'Cinetopia Group' yachts, I believe."  
  
"I don't..." Logan begins, not knowing how to continue. Agree? Deny? "Dad never--"   
  
"No, you probably wouldn't know about that. Bunch of Hollywood producer/director types formed the group to purchase property without the press getting wind of it. They own half a dozen or so of these yachts and a handful of the island's beach houses."   
  
"Oh..."  
  
"No skin off my back. It's legal, and we don't want cameras and reporters around here any more than they do."  Burt switches topics. "Do you boys have any experience piloting a yacht that size?"   
  
"I do," Duncan says. "I've been boating all my life."  
  
_Thank god._  
  
Down closer to the water Logan recognizes the familiar taste of salt, the steady clang of boats thumping their moorings.   
  
"See the ramp at the end of the pier?" Burt asks as they walk. "It leads up to a gated and secure Members Parking Lot. After you get settled, you can move your vehicle there and you won't need to haul your stuff so far. Just swipe marina keycard."   
  
He passes the first dock on the right, and the second, but turns right at the third.   
  
The boats moored here are more modest, but even the smallest makes Aaron's Sundancer back home seem tiny.   
  
"It'll be up here on the left," Burt says.   
  
He skips the first eleven vessels and stops at the twelfth. "Here she is."   
  
The yacht is parked nose-in. Long and pointy, it resembles a heron's beak from the front. 

 

 

 

 

  
[](http://imgur.com/LZRW7SW) [](http://imgur.com/bVMR07L)

They follow their guide down the slip dock. From the side, the boat is a glossy white wedge. 

Logan's body tingles and his knees are weak. He can't resist touching her, running his fingers over the smooth fiberglass. 

_Wow. I might think I was falling in love, if my heart wasn't already taken._

At the end of the slip, Burt pulls a cord from the yacht and connects it to a pole on the dock. "Okay, that's your power. Let's get your water and cable on. If you need Wi-Fi Internet, just call the office for the password."

Veronica perks up at that but, practical as ever, asks, "How much extra is it?"

Burt shakes his head. "It's included in the utilities fee." 

"Hey," Duncan says. "If you guys want to board, I can help out here with the hookups." 

"Sure, go ahead," Burt says. "This shouldn't take long. Old Joe Morgan keeps these Cinetopia properties running like a dream and ready to use within minutes." 

"Okay." Logan doesn't need to be told twice. He hops over to the swim platform, and helps Veronica across. 

They thank the dockmaster for his help and take back Veronica's duffel. 

She smirks at the boat's name, emblazoned above a padded seat in bold, gold-leaf, capital letters. An image of Medusa's head separates the two words. 

A pair of molded plastic stairs bracket the bench, steep on the right side to allow passage to the bow. He touches Veronica's right hip, guiding her to the more gradual stairs on the left. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/mH3u1Fy)

As he steps on the first stair, it's as if some kind of weight lifts from his chest, and Logan has a sudden urge to cry.  
  
_Home._  
  
He's never experienced anything like this before. When your father is a violent sadist, your house becomes a prison.   
  
But here he is, in a place where he can feel safe. With a family of his own choosing - the two people he loves most in this world.   
  
_This is home._  
  
Veronica doesn't say it until they pass through the opening in the clear plastic side-curtains.   
  
" _Titan's Trigger?_  Really? If I remember my mythology correctly, the Titans didn't carry guns. And didn't need them, to be honest."  
  
Logan chuckles. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's a mashup of my dad's favorite movies: 'Clash of the Titans' and 'Hair Trigger'."  
  
"His favorite movies are his own work?"   
  
"Picture of humility, my dad. Runs strong in our family."   
  
There's enough light from the dock to see they're in some kind of entertainment area. Fifteen people could fit comfortably between the horseshoe shaped booth to his right, the two seater to his left and a three-seater ahead and to the left. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/pdFqOzA)

  
"Wow! It's beautiful." Veronica says, staring up at a million stars visible through the sunroof.  
  
"Looks like it'll open," Logan says, noticing a sliding mechanism. "Once we figure out where the buttons are." 

 

 

 

 

  
[ ](http://imgur.com/J6AeanN)

Two steps up takes them to the cockpit with two leather seats and a dash full of gadgetry he'll need Duncan to train him on. 

 

"It's big, but there's more than this, right?"

"Yeah. Definitely." 

A small locked hatch to the left of the cockpit is the only thing that makes sense. He tries the boat key and it slides open, revealing a staircase. 

"After you, my dear."

Veronica grips the Plexiglas railing and inches her way down the stairs. 

Inky blackness engulfs them in them cabin. Four oval windows let in only a meager amount of light. 

"I'm afraid to move," She whispers. "I'm likely to fall and break an leg or something." 

"Don't worry. I'll protect your body from harm," Logan closes his right arm around her shoulder and feels around with his left hand. 

"Let me guess, by protect, you mean cover it with your body?" Her voice hints at amusement. 

"Of course. Whatever is necessary to keep you in one piece." His hand finds something hard and flat - granite or stone - and inches Veronica to the side. 

Footsteps move across the deck and a flashlight shines down through the hatch. "Having fun?" Duncan asks, coming down the stairs. 

A circle of light glows to their right, skimming along white leather, mirrors, and wooden built-ins. The beam stops on a cabinet and then the scents of baking soda and deodorant waft past.

The cabinet door swings open, and Duncan begins switching on breakers in a series of heavy metallic clinks. 

A handful of small safety lights comes to life above and on the front of each stair, making it just bright enough for Logan to locate the wall switches. 

The room illuminates from two large ceiling lights. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/KiBK6h5)

Veronica inhales. "I repeat, Wow!"

"Yeah," Logan laughs. Even he - who should be immune to this stuff by now - is impressed.

"Okay, that's only the main power and the lights," Duncan says. "I'll be back." He jogs back up the stairs. 

Veronica turns in a circle taking everything in. "I guess I was expecting something like an R.V. where everything is cramped and doubles-up on space, but look at this kitchen."

"Galley," Logan corrects. He doesn't know much, but he's learned a few terms over the years. 

Cherry wood cabinets and granite counters zig-zag along most of the left-hand - Port - wall, ending in a small breakfast counter with two stools. An honest-to-goodness upright refrigerator is tucked next to the staircase and paneled in matching woodtone. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/SQQvRAx)

  
"Salon," he says, pointing to the right-hand - Starboard - side, which consists of a cream-colored leather sectional below built-in shelves and cabinets. 

"Fancy," Veronica says. 

She crosses to the far side of the room and opens the door straight ahead. "Ohhh."

"What?" Logan joins her in the doorway. 

The guest stateroom is under the bow, and reflects its angles. A queen-sized berth on a high platform takes up almost the entirety of the space. Shelves run along both walls, and two carpeted steps on each side make the mattress easier to reach. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/alOPFQ1)

"It's much nicer than I expected," Veronica says. She pulls open the top drawer in the pedestal. "I think most of my clothes will fit in here."  
  
Logan's heart sinks.   
  
_What did you expect? Of course, she wants her own room._  
  
Duncan will just have to take the couch in the salon.   
  
A small head - toilet, granite vanity, glass shower stall - opens into both the stateroom and salon.   
  
Logan turns on the light and checks himself in the mirror. He would splash some water on his face, but he's not sure if the water is connected yet.   
  
Veronica's reflection joins his own. "Cramped, but lots of storage. I can work with this." She glances at Logan, and must see something in his expression. "What's wrong?" 

 

 

 

 

  
[](http://imgur.com/9aaehp1)

  
"Nothing's wrong." He puts an arm around her and squeezes. "I'm going to go check out the other stateroom."

"There's another one?"

"I think so. There's a door next to the stairs where we came in." 

Veronica trails behind as he crosses to the other side of the salon. 

He pauses with his hand on the doorknob. "I'm nervous."

"Dork," She covers his hand with her own and turns the knob. "Oh my god!"

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/LFOddQc)

One step down, the master stateroom is much larger than the first one. 

His eyes land first on the bed. Another queen-sized platform bed with a fitted royal blue and gold striped comforter and a handful of matching throw-pillows. It juts out from the center of the left-hand - Starboard - wall and is surrounded by cabinets and built-in nightstands. 

Veronica squeezes past and walks into the room. She flicks a switch on an entertainment unit opposite the bed and two accent lights illuminate a pair of mirrors. Between them, a mounted flat screen TV hangs above a DVD player and a stereo tuner.  

Duncan's feet thump down the stairs. Three more breakers clink and then the kitchen faucet turns on, burping out air for several seconds before running steadily. Footsteps head back upstairs. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/BNTAtBa)

  


Veronica moves forward along the foot of the bed and opens a door in the far corner. "You've got to be kidding me?"

"Another head?"

"No. Walk-in closet. Nothing huge, but it's bigger than the one in my apartment." 

Logan joins her in the doorway, breathing in the scent of cedar. "Not bad." 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/q0TI2iH)

  
"I'm calling dibs," Veronica says. "Duncan can take the other room. This one is ours." 

" _Ours_?" He asks, and his world lights up again. 

"Oh..." She glances up at him, expression guarded. "Would you rather have separate rooms, then?"

"No, I thought _you_ did. When we were looking at the other stateroom." 

Veronica's face relaxes. "Well that would be just dumb. We have a cover to maintain, and what kind of engaged couple sleeps in separate rooms?"

He smiles. "Good point. I'm sure Duncan will appreciate your sacrifice when he doesn't have to sleep on the couch."

"Ehhh. I've gotten used to you. It's not like you snore or anything." 

Logan points at another door in the room's opposite corner. "I'm guessing that's the other head." 

Veronica wrinkles up her nose. "Can't we just stick with calling it the bathroom?" she asks as she crosses the room and opens the door. 

He follows her in. "Not a fan of head? I admit, it takes a while to get used to, but with practice, many come to enjoy it.  You could too." 

She smirks at him. "Not. Even. Subtle." 

"I'm talking about ship vernacular. God, get your mind out of the gutter, girl." 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/GnRrRIN)

The master bath is slightly bigger than the other one. Toilet to the right, vanity, and wide, mirrored, medicine cabinet to the left. 

Straight ahead is a glass shower stall. Logan moves in and opens the door. 

The enclosure is oddly shaped, but spacious enough for two. He faces a built-in seat and he's not proud of where his imagination takes him:  _the slippery fun we could have with her standing on the bench, kneeling on the bench, straddling me on the bench._

Veronica closes the medicine cabinet and moves next to him. "Well that's a...transparent...shower." 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/9ir0Pwv)

Logan turns on the faucet and cold water streams out. He unhooks the sprayer, aiming it at his other hand and clicking the lever. The full spray shifts to center jets only. To pulse. To massage. Soft impact to hard impact to full spray again. 

"Massage head," he says unnecessarily, with a lecherous double-bob of his eyebrows. 

"And...?" Veronica tilts her head, momentarily confused before comprehension sinks in and she rolls her eyes."Ohhh...I get it. Yeah. Lilly used to rave over her shower head." 

"Wait, you've never...?" Logan asks. 

"Sorry. In the kind of places I've lived, the plumbing remains firmly attached to the wall." 

 _Her kneeling. Me holding the_ \--Logan slams the door on that image before it can take hold. 

He turns off the water, returns the hose to its holster, and leaves the bathroom with Veronica. 

"So should we stick with our usual sides?" 

"Of course," she says. "You get the left side, I get the right." 

"How weird is it that we already have patterns?" Logan asks, "It's only been eight days."

"Eight days? It feels like months." She moves around the room, peeking in cabinets and drawers. 

_Is that a good thing or a bad thing?_

"No freaking way," she says, opening a waist high cabinet next to the closet. 

"What?"

She pushes the door all the way open.

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/KWIbYMM)

"What is it?" Logan asks. "A washer or a dryer."

"Both. It's a two-in-one"

"Wish we had something to wash.  I'd like to see that in action."

"You would."  She grins.  

"We're all hooked up," Duncan calls out from the staircase.   
  
"We're in here," Logan answers.   
  
Duncan appears in the room's doorway, eyes taking in the layout. "Nice stateroom!"   
  
"Ours!" Veronica says.   
  
"Noted." Duncan puts up his hands in an exaggerated defensive gesture.   
  
Logan laughs. "Your room is on the bow side."   
  
"I see. So you two...?"  
  
"Need to maintain our cover story," Veronica says, leaving no room for questions.  
  
"Alrighty then. I went ahead and moved the truck to the members lot, so we can start bringing stuff inside in a minute."   
  
He returns to the salon, flipping a dozen more breakers. The refrigerator turns on with a hum, and the air conditioner comes to life moments later. 

* * *

By the time they finish lugging everything in, Logan is vowing to never go on a Target shopping spree again and his imaginary baby in Veronica's belly is making alien sounds. 

"If we don't feed her soon, she's going to start gnawing her way out," Logan says.   
  
"Still sitting right here," Veronica says, from her spot on a stool.  "Also, gross."   
  
"I saw a gourmet pizza bar a few minutes' walk from the parking lot. If I left now, I could probably be back within a half hour," Duncan says. "What do you like on your pizzas?"  
  
"Pepperoni," Veronica and Logan say.   
  
"And double-cheese," Veronica adds.   
  
Duncan stares at them. "Don't you guys ever eat vegetables?"  
  
"French fries," Veronica says.  
  
"Deep-fried pickles,"   
  
Duncan shakes his head and leaves.   
  
"Well he's being ridiculously helpful," Logan notes, after Duncan's footsteps on the deck trail off. "Does he think we're going to vote him off the island?"   
  
Veronica doesn't answer, and he could slap himself for reminding her of the elephant in the room.   
  
They start in the galley, falling into a comfortable rhythm as they unpack their bags and boxes into the refrigerator and cabinets.   
  
Logan finds some cellophane-wrapped coffee pouches and condiments in the care package from Peggy and - along with some bottled water - starts a pot brewing.   
  
Veronica hums something under her breath that sounds a bit like Britney Spears' 'Toxic'.   
  
The galley is stocked with the requisite essentials for eating - plates and glassware, silverware and serving utensils, pots and pans and covered-glass bakeware.   
  
Veronica opens a deep drawer under the cooktop and laughs aloud. "I don't know why I'm surprised," she says, gesturing at the dishwasher inside. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/t7bE8AS)

A mirrored dry bar next to the master stateroom door contains a decent selection of alcohol. Logan squeezes in a few more bottles, and splits the remainder between the refrigerator and the wet bar up on the deck.

Coffee in hand, they make their way into their room, unpacking their duffels into the closets, drawers and cubbies. 

In one of the platform cubbies, Logan finds several sheet sets and blankets enclosed in dust-proof plastic vacuum bags, and they work together, stripping the bed and re-making it. 

While Veronica replaces the pillow-cases, he moves into the bathroom, hanging two towels and stashing the rest in a cabinet above the toilet. Their shower products fit in the built-in nooks behind the shower hose. Hair and face products are stowed in the medicine cabinet. 

Logan divides the framed photos, displaying most of them behind the couch in the salon. He places ones of Veronica and himself on their nightstands. 

Finally, he carries his in Target-purchased objet d'art of the two lovers entwined, setting it carefully on the shelf left of the TV. The mirror behind it reflects its twisted and melded form. 

The piece is just short of tacky, but it's the first decorative object he's ever purchased, and he experiences something like pride in displaying it. 

Veronica returns, stopping to stare at the little sculpture. "Wow." 

"Do you hate it?" Please don't say yes.

"No. It's..." she trails off and he detects a trace of pink in her cheeks. 

_Maybe she's thinking about last night. The way our own bodies wanted to twist around each other._

She responds with her usual tactic for when things get uncomfortable - efficiency. Gathering up the remaining duffels, she peeks inside. 

The first is empty, and the second she tosses to him. "Your..." her face tightens. "...condom collection." 

Logan laughs and stuffs the eight unopened boxes into his nightstand drawer. 

He realizes what he's done when he notices Veronica's deer-in-the-headlights expression. "No! It's not like that! Guys just keep them in nightstands. Do you want me to move them somewhere else?" 

She lifts a hand. "No, by all means, store your condoms wherever you like." 

"I can toss them out if you want. I meant what I said about taking as much time as you need." He winces and runs his hands through his hair. "Fuck! That came out wrong, too. Giving you time didn't mean that I assume you and I would eventually do...that. Just that I won't be doing that with anybody else... Until you figure out--" 

"Logan!" Veronica interrupts, and he realizes he's babbling like an idiot. "Shut the fuck up about the condoms already." She stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. 

"Okay." he exhales, and lets out a nervous laugh.

* * *

  
Logan checks the cable connection while Veronica makes a list of needed food and supplies.  It's functional and gets a gazillion channels on each of the three televisions. He shuts them off, too exhausted to be bothered with TV tonight.   
  
The telephone has a dial tone, but isn't strictly necessary since they have burner phones. The fridge is getting cold and the cooktop heats up. He microwaves a glass measuring cup full of water, and refrains from testing out the dishwasher. They don't have any of the soapy stuff and he shouldn't waste their hot water right away.   
  
He stuffs the empty duffels and organizers in the Master Stateroom's under-floor storage, hangs their laundry bag in the closet filling it with the original sheets and comforter. Portable electronics go in the cabinet above his night stand.   
  
The wall-mounted television at the end of the galley swings out, allowing it to be viewed from the salon. He doesn't want to leave wires dangling, so he stashes the X-Box and games in the cabinet underneath. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/iRzqNwN)

  
Veronica stands at the counter, thumbing through the yacht's owner's manual. She walks over to the geometrical end table and pushes a button. 

With an electric hum and a repeated beeping, the center part of the sectional slides away from the wall, flattening out to a bed. She pushes the button again and it restores to its original position. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/yuacWvq)

"Ah. Guess that's where I'll be sleeping when I'm in the dog house," Logan says. "At least it seems comfy."

"How often do you intend to be in the dog house?" 

"Less than my father?"

"That sounds like a goal to shoot for."

She presses a second button. This time, a wooden table pushes its way out of two hinged flaps in the floor. She adjusts it to its optimal height, and then lifts and locks the fold-down sides. 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/RikEi1p)

"I had no idea that was there," Logan says. 

"You think that's nifty? Wait until tomorrow when it's light out," Veronica says. "I'll take you up on the deck and show you all kinds of fun things." She walks back to the couch and flops down on the left wing.

"I really hope you intended that to sound dirty, because if you're only talking about the navigation system, I'm telling you now, it's going to be a letdown." 

"Sit." She grins and tugs him down next to her. "Take a load off your feet." She pulls a lever and the foot section pops up, while the back reclines. 

"Smooth." Logan snickers. "If you were anyone other than Veronica Mars, I might think that was the equivalent of the yawn-and-stretch move." 

"Yawn-and-stretch?" She touches her chin feigning confusion. "You should demonstrate this move so I'll know it when I see it." 

Logan complies and she adjusts her posture, snuggling into his side. 

His heart does that swoopy 'this-is-all-I-need-for-the-rest-of-my-life' thing. Embarrassed, he stares up at a large, round, etched-glass mariner's star in the center of the ceiling. "I should get back to work."

"Work tomorrow. Relax now." She toys with the fingers of his right hand. "It's been an excruciatingly long day." 

Footsteps on the deck signal Duncan's return. 

"So much for relaxing." Logan sighs and closes down the recliner. 

He gets up and begins gathering drinks, two sodas and one carrot juice, still cold from hours in the truck fridge. Veronica pulls out three plates and a handful of napkins. 

"I'm back," Duncan says, as he comes down the stairs. He sets two pizza boxes on the counter and opens the lids: a large pepperoni, and a small pizza covered with seaweed or kelp or something nauseatingly green and slimy. 

They serve themselves and move to the table. Veronica grabs one of the stools from the breakfast bar. 

She rifles idly through a thick binder with the marina's logo on it while she eats. "Wow. Would you believe your dad pays full utilities every month, simply because some guy comes around every two weeks to inspect the boat. That's in addition to the slip rental and the club dues. Which are an obscene amount of money, by the way." 

"I believe it," Logan says. "He has no clue. Harvey makes the arrangements and the money funnels through Avi Kaufman - my dad's business manager." 

"Well that explains why you felt safe coming here." 

"So what does an obscene amount of money buy us, anyway?" Logan asks. 

"Well..." She flips back a few pages. "Apparently, an oasis for the discerning mariner who wants to enjoy the best of everything." 

Logan snorts. 

"Um...a bunch of yachting events and dinner dances to begin with. A clubhouse, Tennis, Fitness center, Spa, Salon. Golf, with restrictions. Three heated pools - one with a tiki bar. Showers and laundry - I think we're good there. Three restaurants and cafes - one with onboard delivery. A picnic area. Concierge service for all of our entertainment needs. The gated parking. Fifty percent off golf-cart rentals - which I guess is the preferred form of island transportation. Reduced fuel costs. Discounts on restaurants and attractions. And a bunch of boat-related stuff, including something I suspect has to do with the toilets." 

"Well, that is an obscene amount of perks, to be honest," Logan says. 

"I guess..." Veronica closes the binder and grabs another piece of pizza. 

"May I?" Duncan reaches a hand towards the binder. 

"Go for it." She slides it to him. 

Duncan flips through the pages while Logan considers the amenities. He's never liked tennis much, and he didn't bring his golf clubs. He could rent clubs, he supposes. But he has a sneaking suspicion Veronica wouldn't consider that a good use of their funds. 

_Fuck. We're poor now._

At least the pools are free. And he should start working out. Channel some of his frustration into pumping iron. 

_Or maybe you should get a job, dumbass._

"This Joe Morgan guy inspects every inch of the boat biweekly," Duncan says. He turns the binder, showing Logan a fifty-point checklist. 

Logan scans the date column at the top of the list. "He was just here two days ago, so that gives us a bit of time before he comes back." 

"That explains a lot," Duncan says. He flips a few more pages, and then glances back up. "Dude, did you see that Benetti when we were walking down?"

"I'd have to be blind to miss it," Logan says. 

Veronica glances up from her pizza. "What's a Benetti?" 

Logan chews and swallows. "It's an Italian yacht company. Basically floating mansions." 

"You've been on one," Duncan says. "Two years ago, for Grace Enbom's Sweet Sixteen party." 

"You mean our third date?" 

"Yeah. That one, but imagine it doubled. That was the night..." Duncan trails off, and it's as if all the fun and life and oxygen drains from the room. 

_Fuck. You idiot. What made you think this was a good time to remind her of your romantic history?_

They both become silent and introspective. Logan tries to overcompensate with jokes, but the most he can get out of them is a few wan smiles. 

Veronica gathers the plates and rinses them off in the sink. "I'll leave these here tonight and we can pick up some dishwasher detergent tomorrow."

"And laundry soap," Logan says. 

The shopping list is still sitting on the counter and she takes a moment to writes something down. Then she yawns. "I think I'm going to crash - on my face if I don't get some sleep." 

She catches Logan's eye on her way out of the room giving him the _'are-you-coming-to-bed?_ ' look.

_Yes. Soon._

Logan gives it ten minutes, waiting out Duncan while he turns on the television, grabs a glass and a bottle of Dad's Courvoisier, and begins flipping channels. 

He lets out an exaggerated yawn. "Dude, I'm exhausted too. Last night was a late night." 

Duncan doesn't even glance up. "Okay. See ya in the morning." 

* * *

Logan silently closes the door behind him.   
  
Veronica likes it dark when she sleeps, but she's left two push-lights glowing in the stateroom and another one in the head for him to see by.   
  
Stripping off his jeans, he stuffs them in the hanging laundry bag and then heads into the bathroom. He doesn't turn on the overhead light, instead clicking a second push-light. He can feel Veronica's gaze watching him through the open door as he brushes his teeth and performs his skincare routine with lukewarm water.   
  
There isn't enough hot water for a shower, and he took one this morning anyway, so there's nothing left to do but go to bed.   
  
He clicks off the lights one-by-one, bathing the room in darkness.   
  
The sheets are cold and he makes an exaggerated shivering sound as he slips between them.   
  
Veronica laughs softly and rolls to face him. "Hi."   
  
"Hey," he whispers back. "So...how do we do this thing now?"  
  
"What thing, sleeping?"  
  
He laughs nervously. "Well, between last night's lapse-of-judgment-but-super-enjoyable grinding of body parts and this morning, when I told you how I feel...I guess I just don't want to assume that things will just go right back to cuddling-as-usual."   
  
Veronica takes too long to answer, and Logan rushes to fill the silence. "But for the record, I really enjoy the cuddling. In a way that's separate from any kind of feelings or lust."   
  
"Well then," Veronica's voice is powder soft, and she curls her fingers around his waist. "I think we should probably cuddle."  
  
He slides his left arm under his pillow to make room for her and she wiggles closer until their bodies touch and her nose brushes his chest.  
  
Logan exhales his tension. He closes his eyes, and breathes in her hair, allowing his hand to rest on her lower back.   
  
"Are you okay?" he asks. "About what you learned today?"  
  
"I'm adjusting. It doesn't change who my true father is. And as far as...the other thing...it could have been worse."  
  
_How could it possibly be worse?_  
  
His thumb rubs an arc on the small of her back, offering a small measure of comfort.   
  
"Logan?"  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"Do you think Duncan knew all along?"  
  
"What? No way. I remember that night I pulled him off his father.  The anger was fresh. He must have just learned the truth."   
  
She tilts her head back, nose bumping his chin. "I've been thinking about it all day, and I can't help but wonder if that's why he never tried to move past kissing."

_Well that's one way it could be worse._

"That's just Duncan. He's always been that way. Even before he met you."  
  
"He was twelve when we met. He probably hadn't even discovered girls yet." She touches his back, tentative fingers tip-toeing up his spine.   
  
"No. It wasn't a little boy's _'girls are gross'_ thing. He liked girls. It was more like he had a puritanical view of anything sexual."  
  
"Puritanical?" Veronica's palm sweeps over his right shoulder blade, and he leans into it.   
  
"Like _'probably-bleaches-his-hand-after-beating-off'_ puritanical. Dirty! Shame! Nasty!"   
  
"Lovely."  
  
"Lilly was sure he caught her banging the pool boy or something and it scarred him for life." It doesn't ache as much to talk about her as it used to.   
  
"Way too much information."  
  
"Sorry. I just wanted you to understand that while DK is repressed and has an outdated - by a century - view of sex, he isn't twisted enough to date his own sister."   
  
"Okay."   
  
Her hand grows bolder, rubbing in a wider arc over his back.   
  
"Wait. Right there," he says when she hits that spot under his left shoulder blade. "Can you scratch?"  
  
Her fingers scrape over the itchy spot.   
  
"Thank you. I've needed that all day."   
  
She stops, and he's not going to whine, because he's lucky to even get to be close to her.   
  
He hand moves to his lower back, slides under his Tee-shirt, and resumes scratching the same spot.   
  
_Fuck._  
  
"Logan?"  
  
"Huh?" It comes out like a squeak.  
  
"Great job keeping a clear head today when those guys surrounded us."  
  
"Clear head? I was freaking the fuck out."   
  
"But you didn't start swinging. I was so afraid you would." Veronica's fingers form a claw, dragging lightly across his skin. Top. Bottom. Side to side.   
  
" _Mmmm_." It feels amazing. "You're becoming a bit of a liability to me."  
  
Her hand stops moving.  
  
"I'm not used to restraining myself, and I can't really pull off the 'crazy sonofabitch who isn't afraid to die' act when you're around. I'm afraid I'm just not scary anymore."   
  
"You poor thing," she whispers. "You've lost your edge."   
  
"I know, right? Just call me Edgeless Echolls." He wiggles his shoulders.   
  
She catches the hint and begins scratching again. The angle of his lower arm stretches his tee-shirt tight around the upper left part of his back. Afraid it might deter her from covering that area, he lifts up to loosen the fabric when her hand begin moves in that direction.   
  
Veronica interprets his movement wrong - _but also so so right_ \- and suddenly she's pushing his shirt all the way up, and he's lifting up on his elbow so she can pull it over his head.  
  
His lungs burn and he's afraid to breathe.  _Little breaths, Logan. Little breaths.  Don't scare her off._  
  
_This is not sex. This is not sex. Not sex._  
  
Her thumbs knead his muscles and he arches wherever she touches.   
  
_This is her needing a human connection after this afternoon's bombshell Nothing more._  
  
Still, he has to ask.   
  
"I'm not sure where I should put my hand." He presses his five fingers into her lower back. "I mean, do you want me to touch you?"   
  
_Oh. My. God. I sound like a fucking virgin._  
  
"Your hand is fine where it is." He hears the laugh in her voice, and it makes him happy.   
  
_I must be doing this right._  
  
At the slight pressure of her palm, he rolls on his back. She shifts into her favorite position with her head on his chest. Her silky hair spreads against his skin, and his right hand moves to stroke the top of her head.   
  
"She could have been my sister," Veronica says.   
  
_And that came out of nowhere._  
  
"She always was your sister. Blood or no blood."  
  
"But what if she was my blood sister? What kind of person lays like this with her sister's boyfriend?" 

She pulls back, lifting up on her elbow. 

Logan tips his head back and exhales. "I am not her boyfriend. I wasn't when she died, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm your boyfriend."   
  
Veronica inhales and he continues before she can interrupt.   
  
"I didn't say that to pressure you. I meant every word I said this morning. Take weeks or months or however long you need to be sure you genuinely want this thing we have. Or maybe that you _don't_ want it. Maybe Burt the dockmaster is more your type."   
  
Veronica snickers. "I'll try to resist his magnetic pull. So how did you mean it, then?"  
  
He wishes he could see her. Could gauge her mood. The look in her eyes this morning gave him the courage to put it all out there for her. Now he's flying blind.   
  
_To hell with it._ "I meant that I'm yours. And I hope someday you'll be mine. And in the meantime, I'll just consider myself your on-call boyfriend. Ready to boyfriend quickly and comprehensively at a moment's notice. Hey, I could wear a boyfriend beeper or something."   
  
Veronica sighs and leans over him. "You. Are. Utterly. Fucking. Ridiculous." She presses her mouth to his lips, soft and sweet, and pulls away again before it can escalate, rolling back to her previous position at his side.

Her fingertips skim over his chest, his ribs, his collar bone, his neck. They curl around his bicep, following the length of his arm to his hand.   
  
Pulling it to rest on his chest, she twines their fingers together, and her bent leg slides forward to drape over his thigh.  
  
"For the record, that's two kisses today," Logan says, because he can't let it rest.  "Neither strictly necessary."     
  
He feels her silent laughter against his skin. "Don't let it go to your head, pretty boy."  
  
He smiles, happy and wide. "Wouldn't dream of it." 

 

 

 

 

[ ](http://imgur.com/jVUbZ0n)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A TON of thought went into choosing the yacht the N3 would be living on. Is Aaron loaded enough to afford something bigger and more spacious? Definitely. Two factors made me select this specific yacht (1) Not too big to require a pilot and crew, and (2) Biggest non-piloted boat I could find with 2 staterooms specifically. Even much smaller yachts start getting into 3 Staterooms or scattering extra berths around. I wanted two and no more than two for story reasons. 
> 
> Here's a video walkthrough of the boat if anybody is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uayy0lFYu8  
> I've found that model years 2002 - 2008 are indistinguishable other than differences in comforters and fabrics.


	28. Day Nine - Dodger

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**Veronica**  
**The Titan's Trigger**

Morning. The world moves beneath her in a gentle rocking rhythm, boats thump their moorings, and waves crash. Veronica wakes without an alarm, the taste of salt on her tongue.

_Right. Logan's yacht._

He's still here - the mattress dips enough to confirm that - and she stretches the fingers on her right hand, until they find the comforting presence of his skin.

She's embarrassed by how much she's grown to depend on him. Physically, he's the Big-Bad-Wolf-on-a-leash, here to guard her from all things that go bump in the night.

Emotionally? She foresees an abundance of soul-searching and self-analysis in the near future.

_But it doesn't need to be right now._

Her eyelids glow an orangey-red, dispelling any notions she might've had about drifting back to sleep. She opens them, squinting in the blinding light that reflects off the mirrored armoire by their feet.

If not for the AC, they'd probably be deep-fried like ants on a sidewalk.

_Seriously fucked-up design flaw, yacht making...people._

Her vision adjusts and she checks the alarm clock on the built-in nightstand. Seven-thirty A.M.

Huh. She didn't get enough hours of sleep to be this rested. Either the boat's motion had a soporific effect on her, or the reprieve from that constant being-hunted feeling bought her some extra time in the REM zone. Also, Logan.

To her right, he sleeps on his back, bare-chested.

He'd been wearing a shirt when he'd climbed into bed. She'd peeled it off him.

Should she be ashamed right now? Guilty? Confused?

She isn't.

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, she'd woken humiliated by her behavior. Today, there's an indefinable lightness in her chest.  Maybe it's because he'd been so accommodating to her needs last night. Downright sweet, actually.

_What had he called himself? My 'On-Call boyfriend'?_

Something like sunlight warms her blood, and she smiles.

She can feel it in her bones; this place is good for them. All three of them, but especially Logan.

He'd tried to appear nonchalant and unaffected, but she'd witnessed the subtle changes in him after they'd arrived. The inner glow filling his soft expression, the smile he kept reaching up to touch.  He loves it here.

 _And Wallace calls me a marshmallow_.

Duncan had certainly been a busy beaver last night, proving himself indispensable in the operation and maintenance of a yacht. Hopefully, out of genuine interest rather than obligation, or fear that they would turn against him otherwise.

Her stomach clenches, and she breathes through it. She doesn't want to feel angry or vindictive.

_We're a family, and we need him. Logan needs him._

No doubt, he fucked up royally, but when it comes down to it, he was a victim, too.

She'd rather channel her ire towards those who truly deserve it. Lianne and Jake.

Allowing her and Duncan to date had been reprehensible. If there was even the smallest chance they were related _\-- impossible, as Keith Mars is, without a doubt, my father --_ they were morally compelled to stop it.Obligated.

No excuses, no deflections, no claims of ignorance or confusion can ever divert the blame.

Two years ago. Waffle Day at the old house (long before the world went dark). Matching mother-daughter hairdos. A guessing game, warm, crinkled eyes, wide smiles, and playful teasing.

 _"Okay! It's Duncan Kane."_ She'd relented.

Lianne's face had crumpled, and it was she'd admitted to kicking a puppy. Without a better explanation, Veronica had attributed her mother's obvious (but unspoken) reservations to concern about the shenanigans she might get into by having a boyfriend and best friend residing under the same roof.

No wonder Lianne's drinking had escalated. Who wouldn't pick drowning in a vodka bottle over saving their child from a humiliating, incestuous disaster?

_Celeste. That's who. The Ice Queen was a better mother than mine._

Which only leads to another question. Why? It couldn't have been to protect her parents' relationship, as Lianne had no problem walking away without a backwards glance. Celeste already knew of the affair, so the Kane marriage wasn't in danger. As for her and Duncan, it was way more damaging to hide the truth, than it would have been to reveal it before things could go too far.

_Isn't it obvious, Veronica? The scandal._

Can't besmirch the name of the most beloved man in Neptune with whispers of adultery, false paternity, and incest, right?

And Lianne went right along with it. Probably not a rarity in the course of a twenty-year affair.

_What kind of love is that?_

What kind of love causes someone to elevate their lover's reputation over their daughter's mental health? To betray the kindest, most thoughtful, and loving husband in the world?

What kind of love makes a woman vehemently defend the man who'd willfully destroyed her husband's career and character? The same man who'd all but bankrupted her family, forcing his own (possible) daughter to vacate the only home she'd ever known and move to the crime-ridden side of town?

What kind of toxic, destructive, love inspires a woman to abandon her husband and child in the dark of night, while continuing to get cozy with her high school boyfriend at The Camelot?

Only last week _\- seems like a year ago -_ Veronica left the boys in their Arizona motel room and snuck off to search for Lianne and the comforting only a mother could provide. Now, she couldn't give a rat's ass if she ever sees the bitch again.

As for the comforting, who could've predicted she'd end up getting it from Logan - the boy she'd considered her enemy? He turned out to be more than qualified to supply all the comfort, kindness and compassion she could ask for.

He must sense her thoughts, as he sighs in his sleep and pats his hand along the bed, looking for her.

She rolls onto her side, facing him.

Logan's other hand is tucked under the pillow, supporting his head, and emphasizing his defined bicep. She's never been an "arm girl" in the past, but she's fast reconsidering that position.

The scent of yesterday's deodorant still lingers on him, preserved perhaps, by the cool, air conditioned room.

_Am I like her?_

As long as she's known Logan, she's wanted him.

Back when wanting him was merely a jolt of recognition - This boy burns brighter than the rest. This is a kindred soul.

Back when wanting him was a jolt of bodily awareness. When the rough-housing with her best friend's boyfriend lingered a few seconds too long, when she held on a little too tightly.

Even when she despised him - could barely stand to look at him - his presence was the defibrillator to her walking-dead existence.

But none of those jolts came close to the day they kissed. When they'd generated so much electricity, she'd half-expected to hear reports of brownouts later.

_Is this how it started for Lianne and Jake?_

And if so, what's the lesson to take away?

Is intense, burning, consuming love like theirs to be feared? Something to avoid at all costs? To banish before it has an opportunity to grow roots and flourish? Before it can turn destructive?

Can you outrun it? Outsmart it? Outlive it?

Or is it something to be embraced and cherished? Protected to your dying breath. A united front against all interlopers.

 _That_ was Lianne and Jake's fatal mistake. Walking away from something that wasn't finished. Involving innocents. Sure, Veronica might never have been born if they hadn't. Or would she be?

Regardless, both options make her queasy. She's not running. But she's in no hurry to pledge her undying devotion, either.

Mostly, she wants to make out.

She's been the damaged victim for too long. She's ready for a sexual awakening, and she knows just who she intends to bring along for the ride.  It's been building up -  since the day they kissed, even before then - and if they don't make out soon, she's liable to combust.  

Every part of Logan's body invites her to touch - the path of freckles dotting the sun-kissed skin of his arm, the dip of his clavicle, the indent of his hip bone.

As recently as yesterday, she would have ignored the temptation. Would've kept her hands to herself, despite his carte blanche invitations to touch him any time for any reason.

It's out in the open, now. Her desire for him is no longer her most shameful secret. And the world didn't end, after all.

_I'm allowed to touch him._

_To caress his cheek._

Prickly stubble scratches her palm - surprisingly coarse for one-day's growth.

By contrast, the sprinkling of hair on his chest is downy, and inviting. She tickles it with the tips of her fingers.

"Uh oh, you're smiling.' Logan's sleepy voice says. He gazes at her, soft and drowsy. "Should I be worried?"

"This? You call this a smile?" she asks. "This is just my lips getting out of the way so I can work one of those popcorn kernel skins out of my back molar. I'm sure you know the feeling."

"Odd. You haven't eaten popcorn. At least not since we watched The Notebook a few nights ago. And I know you floss daily."

"You mean since _I_ watched the Notebook? As I remember, you spent the entire movie licking butter off my fingers."

"Were your non-finger parts jealous? Because I'd gladly lick butter from--" He waggles his brows.

"Don't finish that sentence." Veronica fakes a sigh and her mouth stretches wider. "Fine, you busted me. I was smiling. It just occurred to me that, for the first time, waking up like this isn't even a tiny bit awkward." She runs her fingers up the side of his neck.

"Yeah, now that you mention it..."

"You're almost naked," she points out.

"Say that again," he says.

"Why?"

"I want to concentrate on your pronunciation."

Veronica lifts one brow.

"I could interpret it three different ways. The emphasis is key to whether you're saying, _'Good lord, put some clothes on, asshole'_ , or _'Great job on the disrobing, Sport, just lose those boxers and we're golden'_. A better outcome, in my opinion."

She shakes her head, suppressing a grin. "And the third?"

"My personal favorite. _'You're almost naked.'_ Which I would take to mean that I'm way ahead, and you're hurrying to catch up." Logan makes an and-there-we-go hand gesture.

Option three would be Veronica's choice as well, but it's the kind of conversation you work up to. Gradually.

She trails her fingers over his breastbone. "Think of it more as, _'The mere fact that you're nearly naked should make this situation incredibly awkward. Yet it isn't.'_ "

"Progress. I'll take it." His lips turn up. "So what makes today different than usual?"

She knows exactly what's changed, but how do you tell someone, _'I eavesdropped on your conversation with Dash DeWitt, I'm pretty sure you told him you're in love with me, and now the things that used to make me insecure seem silly and insignificant. Also, I want to make out'._

She shrugs off the question. "No particular reason that I'm aware of, but sure, Echolls, let's jinx it by analyzing it to death."

Logan's eyes say he doesn't believe her. He climbs out of bed - six feet of nearly naked boy - stretches his arms overhead, and bows his spine. "Back in a sec."

She traces his muscled back with her eyes. The same dips and ripples she'd traced with her fingers last night.

He must feel the weight of her gaze. He glances over his shoulder. "Veronica Mars. Are you checking me out?"

She smirks, and rolls onto her back. Props up her head with her forearm in imitation of his own lazy insolence."And what if I am?"

After four years of successfully hiding and concealing her feelings, it's no wonder his grin momentarily slips, revealing a sort of stunned speechlessness on his features.

He recovers quickly. "Then I would invite you to continue at your leisure. As soon as I come back out." The bathroom door closes.

Veronica relaxes into the mattress, stretching long and pointing her toes. Her red toenail polish juxtaposes with Logan's glossy Target sculpture, arranged on one of the television armoire shelves.

Getting up, she moves to the shelf. Tries to view the object from his perspective.

It's not so much that it's tacky - it is, but her Neptune apartment isn't exactly something out of 'House Beautiful' - it's that it creates a vague sense of unease in her belly.

Logan sees something beautiful. Two soulmates coming together to achieve the ultimate union of sex and intimacy. Nirvana. The kind of love to aspire to.

He doesn't see anything wrong with the way the figures gradually become less and less distinct as they entwine around each other, merging into a single form at the bottom. How they cease being two separate entities in their quest to lose themselves in each other.

_The problem with all-consuming love, is the being consumed part._

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**The Titan's Trigger**

Logan runs wet fingers through his hair, plucking at a stubborn flat spot. It's pointless really, without product, and he'll be showering in a bit, anyway. He straightens the plush hand towel, turns off the light and opens the bathroom door.

Veronica - now standing at the foot of the bed - stares at his new sculpture, lip raised and nose wrinkled. From her expression, you'd think it depicted a Roman orgy instead of a tasteful embrace of lovers.

His heart droops like a wilted daisy. As much as he loves the thing - as much as he desires to assert his individuality over just one single space in this world - he wants her more.

"Do you really hate it?" He skirts the foot of the bed, lifts the object and tests its weight. "Cause I can move it somewhere else. If you want."

_Please don't want._

Her eyes drop, guiltily. "No! No, It's nice. I mean, my mom used to collect Precious Moments, so..." She takes it from his hand, tracing a swirl with her finger. "...this is practically fine art."

Logan casts his mind back to when Lianne Mars was still an anxious, fluttering presence in their lives, and he was still a welcomed guest in their home. "You mean those creepy figurines she displayed all over your old house?"

Veronica shudders and places the statue back on the shelf. "Yeah. She ended up selling them all after Jake Kane..." She breaks off, breathes out through a clenched jaw. "After the recall election. When we lost our house."

_Back when I should have been supporting you, instead of inciting the torches-and-pitchforks brigade. God, I was an asshole._

Logan reaches out, tugs at her shoulder. She resists. A split-second of defiance flames to life, then she softens, allowing him to pull her into his arms. She must have shrunk overnight, because she feels even more tiny and delicate than usual today. Fragile.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers into her hair.

"Don't be. I secretly hated those things. All of that wide-eyed, butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth innocence was just a smokescreen for their true agenda."

He pulls back, smoothing her hair from her face. "And what was that?"

"Devouring souls." She says it so straight-faced and matter-of-factly, he chokes out a laugh.

Her answering smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. She's putting in the effort, but yesterday took a lot out of her.

He should've checked in on her emotional state earlier. Now she's had time to erect her walls,and she'll only deflect. Instead, he asks, "So what's on the agenda for today, boss?

"The agenda." she repeats, dragging out the word as she shifts into planning mode.

Logan chuckles. "I can already see the gears whirling in your head."

"Those gears are trying to categorize and prioritize a dozen different pressing concerns."

"How can I help?" He walks her two steps backwards, and lifts her up onto the too-tall bed. "I'll make a list for you."

Logan digs through his nightstand drawer, pushing aside boxes of condoms, until he finds a notepad and pen.

She quirks a surprised eyebrow at him.

"Hey! I can be helpful, too!" He pouts.

She doesn't refute it, but her lips turn up.

"So? What's on your mind?" His hand hovers over the pad.

"The broad categories?" She counts each point out on her fingers, and Logan scrambles to write them down. "Safety, money, communication, education, information, and...."

"Romance?" he supplies, hopefully.

She rolls her eyes, adds a fifth finger. "Our futures."

He nods, grinning as he jots that down, followed by _'romance'_ in parenthesis.

Ignoring his addition, she scoots closer, points to the top item on the list and begins counting fingers again. "Safety. One - we have to figure out if Liam Fitzpatrick fell for our ruse."

"Can we?" Logan asks, "I mean, he - hopefully - headed North, while we drove Southeast. Do we need to be within a certain range?"

"Good question, but no. I'ts a 'push-capable' tracker. Meaning periodically it pushes its coordinates to the global positioning satellite - or GPS. That position is recorded to a server we can log on to from anywhere."

"So you could technically access a record of everywhere he goes and how long he's there?" Logan shudders, adding _'Operation FitzGooosechase'_ to the list. "I'm glad you never used one of those on me."

"What makes you think I haven't?" she asks with a straight-face, but her eyes twinkle with humor. She counts out another finger, "Two - Disguises. If we learned anything from yesterday's debacle, it's that Old Blue-Eyes is way too recognizable. If those douche nozzles picked him out on sight, I don't want to risk him around people with functional brain cells."

He writes down, _'Get the Donut new sprinkles (hair bleach and colored-contacts)'_.

"I'll need to nail down my island persona as well," she says.

"Pregnancy pad and a wig?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think so. 'preggers-and-about-to-pop' is the perfect mainland disguise. But here, it would attract more attention. We can't pass for locals - they'd surely all know and recognize each other - and nobody goes on vacation when they're that pregnant."

"Especially when there's no on-island hospital," Logan adds. "So what's your plan?"

"I won't know until I get a better look at the residents. I can do a pretty decent Angie Dahl impression, but I don't quite have the wardrobe for Trust Fund Bitch."

"Not to mention, being loathsome is memorable."

"Not an Angie fan? She'll be devastated to hear it." Veronica says, gleefully. "I suppose, I should project whatever will make people dismiss me as vapid arm-candy. Or a trophy wife. But I don't want to attract a different kind of attention, so I can't be too sexy."

"Good luck stopping that," he mutters.

She pauses, on the verge of making her next point, and although she rolls her eyes, her face seems to light up from within. "You old, sweet talker."

Puns come to mind. He rejects them. Asks instead, "So what about me?"

"Fishing for compliments? You know damn well that you're sexy."

"I meant my island disguise, but now that you're on the record..."

"We'll figure you out after we've scouted a bit," she says, peering down at the list again. "And I'm pretty sure I went on the record Saturday night. You should pay better attention. So where were we?"

"Um...Romance?"

"Money. We brought it in from the car, right?"

"Obviously. So back to that last subject."

"I think we should split it up," she says. "Or hide it in multiple locations. I don't think it's a good idea having it all in one place."

Logan makes a note of it.

"We'll need a budget, of course," she says.

He wrinkles his nose. "I hope you're not waiting for me to volunteer."

"It might be amusing to see what you'd allocate to booze and entertainment, but I think I'd better handle this one."

"Wise choice. So that's everything for money?"

"Not even close," she says. "You two can't even conceive of the fact that it's a finite resource."

He moves the pen to the paper, but loses the thought. "What did you say again?"

She shakes her head. "Make money last. Spend little. Earn more. Also, find jobs."

"Got it," he says, and scans up the list. "Goody! Communication's next. I hope that means you're ready to honestly share your feelings and emotions."

"Dream on. It means we've been off the grid for the past few days, and my dad must be frantic. He wanted to talk to you specifically, if you remember. Then, Wallace is working his first case, and probably needs my help. But first we need to get internet."

"Bravely face-down angry father-in-law, get Wi-Fi password from marina office, train replacement Nancy Drew wannabe." Logan speaks aloud as he writes. "Hey. What happened to you teaching me?"

Veronica points to the 'our future' bullet point.

"We should touch base with Weevil, too. Make sure he hasn't murdered our ace in the hole."

He scrawls. 'Check Weevil's stew pot for boiling bunnies'.

She snorts. "Only for you, Logan. Don't think I didn't notice all that close-talking, mouth-watching action in my parking lot."

"He did have an unhealthy fixation with my sex tapes."

She glances up sharply. "You're not still carrying those around, are you?"

"Sorry, you lost your chance for a private viewing. They're floating somewhere in the Gulf, now." He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But if you really wanted to, I'm sure I could recreate them for you - at least. the first two. That last one might require a Twister board, baby oil, and ten minutes of deep stretching."

Veronica clamps her lips together, fighting off her smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Should I add that under 'our future'?"

"Make it a mental note." She double-taps her forehead and then peers closely at the notepad. "Education can wait. It's not urgent. As for Information...." Handing back the pad, she rattles off questions. "Did Lamb find the breadcrumb trail Duncan left on the library computer? Did he pass that knowledge on to Liam? What's the state of the investigation? Do they have any leads to our whereabouts?"

Logan looks up from his notepad. "Did Poodle Head and his Smells-Funky-Bunch report seeing us at the rest stop yesterday?"

"Or any of the people you punched on Saturday night?"

"Or the ones you tasered."

Their eyes meet and they grin.

Veronica looks away first. "Between the Barracuda tracker and my dad, we might be able to answer some of these. Unless Lamb has the department on information lockdown." She glances down at the paper and sighs. "I'm getting exhausted just looking at this list. Why don't we check off a few items, and come back to it tomorrow?"

"Sure. What'll it be?" he asks.

Taking the pad from him, she examines the contents closely and then flips to a new page. She tugs the pen out from between his teeth, wipes it on the side of her shorts, and writes a new list. 1. Grocery shop. 2. Get wi-fi password 3. Call dad 4. Check tracking app.

She tosses it aside, stands up and, pressing her hands to the bottom of her spine, leans backwards.

"Stiff?" Logan asks.

"Nothing a shower won't help." She smiles at him, and it's as if she's removed all semblance of seriousness along with her Getting-Things-Done hat. Her eyes dance with humor as she holds out her hand and tugs him to his feet. "Anything you wanted to do today?"

He shrugs. "Nothing you'd consider worthwhile or productive."

Veronica steps closer, sliding her hands up his biceps. "Haven't you heard? All work and no play makes Logan--" She cuts off with a laugh. "Never mind.  Impossible."

He tentatively wraps his arms around her, clutching his own hands against her lower back. "If I didn't know better, I might think that was a compliment."

"It wasn't an insult." She traces idle fingers over his shoulders. "Why don't you think up something fun for us to do while I'm in the shower?"

He grins wide. "Oh, I know plenty of ways to have fun in the shower."

"Slip-slidey ways?" She whisper-teases, "Pressed up against the wall?"

 _What the hell?_ He'd used the same words in the maternity store, while inventing their conception story, but hearing them spoken from Veronica's mouth is a bit disconcerting.

"That was so yesterday. Now that I've seen this shower and its special attributes, I think we could get way more creative."

"I see." Veronica takes a step back. She picks up the memo pad, flips it back to the first page, and hands it to him. "Add it to the list."

"Um...?" He stalls, fumbling for words.

"Right there." She leans in and points. "Under romance. Now, why don't you use that pretty brain of your to come up with more...public...opportunities for fun?" She gives him a slap on the ass, and disappears into the closet.

Logan rubs at his stinging flesh. _Did she really just..._

Her voice calls through the opening. "At the very least, I think we should take a tour of the island today. Get to know our new home."

"That sounds like a plan."

"You know what else would be great?" She pokes her head through the doorway. "Breakfast. I noticed one of those marina restaurants in the brochure has delivery. Maybe you should investigate that while I shower."

"I'll think about it." He says. "So it's a definite no on the water conservation efforts?"

She doesn't answer.

He takes-in the rumpled mess of sheets and bedding. "Think anyone provides on-board housekeeping service?"

"Please refer back to our list. The money section, specifically."

Right. With a sigh, he goes to work giving the flat sheet a good whip. It lifts and floats almost entirely off the bed.

Veronica emerges from the closet in time to witness this. She sets down a small pile of clothing, and moves opposite him, grabbing the sheet in both hands. "On the count of three," she says. "One. Two. Three."

In unison, they snap the sheet. It catches the air like a parachute lifting high, and then floating slowly back down.

"Once more," she says, and they repeat the process.

The sheet momentarily blocks his view of her, and when it comes back down, she's smiling at him with soft, tender, eyes.

Logan's heart swells, and if he wasn't already enamored of her...

She pulls the sheets taut, smoothing and tucking, and he mimics her movements. They pull the comforter back onto the bed, folding it out around the edges.

"Are you sure we didn't get married?" he asks as they move to the bottom, adjusting a folded-under section. "Because I'm feeling a little domesticated."

"Married?" She touches her lower lip, pretending to think about it. "I remember your oh-so-romantic proposal. Because you liked my underwear."

"Mmmm. Are you wearing them now?"

"Eww. We haven't done laundry. Which, by the way..." She points at him.

"I know, add it to the list."

"Wow, it's almost like you know me."

"So which ones do you have on now?" He waggles his brows. "Please tell me it's that black thong you picked up at Target?"

Veronica's hands smooth over her tiny striped cotton sleep shorts. "Do you wear underwear under your boxers?"

"Of course not, but..." He trails off. Is she saying...? _Oh fuck!_

As if those clingy tank tops she sleeps in aren't insult enough - outlining things he'd kill to touch, put his mouth on. His dick twitches, and he summons images of fiery car crashes, wrinkled grandmas.

Veronica leans back against the foot of the bed. "You know, there's a chunk of time missing in my memory. Somewhere between pet alligators and drunks on a roof whistling 'Moon River'. Maybe we got married then?"

He grins. "So you're theorizing that we found us a 24-hour wedding chapel, in Bluebell Alabama, in the middle of a heat wave. Tied the knot, and then forgot all about it?"

She shrugs. "It makes about as much sense as pet alligators."

"Okay." He takes two steps closer. "So by that logic, if we did get married, you know what that means?"

"What does it mean?"

"It means..." Another step. "...that we're on our honeymoon." He swoops down, lifts her by the back of the thighs, and spins her around three times, before depositing her up on the platform bed.

"Now you're catching on." She laughs as he assaults her with a barrage of loud smooching kisses - forehead, cheeks, tip of her nose.

He pulls back, and for several seconds they smile at each other.

"You want to play the part of honeymooners, don't you?"

"There are advantages." Veronica wraps her arms around him, pulling him closer.

Her inner thighs hug the waistband of his underwear, offering tantalizing slivers of skin-on-skin. He glances down, belatedly realizing how they're positioned - parts conveniently aligned. Between the placket on his boxers and what she isn't wearing under those tiny shorts, he could be inside her within seconds.

He inhales sharply, tries to pull away but, like a bear trap springing shut, Veronica's calves wrap around his legs, her ankles locking together.

She continues her thought. "Spending all day poolside, sipping drinks and not feeling guilty about it?"

 _So we're just going to ignore my desperation to escape before things get embarrassing? Fine. I'll play along._ "Or sunset yacht cruises?"

She nods, enthusiastically. "Exploring the beaches."

"Snorkeling?"

She laughs. "Add it to the list."

"Did I miss the part where we woke up in some zany personality-swap comedy? Because I'm not sure you're even capable of being unproductive."

She tilts her head. "Maybe this whole fiasco is fate's way of saying I need to lighten up and learn to enjoy life."

"Do you even believe in fate?"

"I don't know. I believe in opportunity and personal growth. I watch you becoming a better person every day, and I like to think it's - at least in part - due to my influence."

He would thank her for acknowledging his efforts, if his throat wasn't so thick with emotion.

Her hands move to his sides, and she speaks to his sternum. "And I believe that there are things you can teach me as well."

"Well if pool boozing is your goal, I'm your man."

"Certainly, but you're good for more than that."

It's hard to think with her thumbs rubbing patterns on his hip bones. Her core is hot - a furnace pressed against him. His balls tighten and his cock throbs in response.

He tries again, to extract himself from her trap. She slides her arms around his back.

"Veronica?" He searches her eyes for meaning.

"What did you think of the first time you saw this bed?" she asks.

"How lonely it would be without you. I was still moping, thinking you wanted separate rooms."

She touches his cheek. "I didn't."

"How about you? What did you think?"

She drops her eyes, traces the back of his waistband with her fingers. "I thought about what you said back in our room in Bluebell."

"Really? We talked? Because from what I remember--"

She cuts him off. "You said you were going to _'fuck me so hard someday'_. Once I got around to seducing you."

It's as if he can hear his own heartbeat.  He's breathless and whatever restraint he'd been exerting over his cock fizzles. It springs up, ready and willing.

He swallows and asks, voice shaking. "Is that what you're trying to do now?"

"No, not really?" She phrases it like a question - like she herself is not sure of the answer - but he knows better.

He reads it all in her expression. This isn't a seduction, it's a test. And not for him.

The objective is a bit harder to read. It could be any of a number of things - from sexual curiosity to flexing her seductive muscles, evaluating her pull over him. Which is not a bad thing, per se. He wants her to be confident.

He suspects however, that this is more reactionary. She has something to prove.

Maybe that she's still the same after her attempted-rape. That she's not afraid of sex, or damaged, or altered. That she owns her body.

Or...that she can move on after first love. That she's totally over him.

Yes, it hasn't escaped his notice that these changes in her - the exploratory touches, suggestive comments, and open flirting - started up right after learning that Duncan is no longer (and never can be) a romantic option.

It's too soon. For all her the teasing, there's been no mention of their relationship outside of a sexual context. He's just as much to blame. She's merely lobbing back his own innuendos.

He's not deluding himself into thinking she's in love with him, but he can't be nothing more to her than the tool she uses to prove her sexuality.

_And who the hell says 'I'm going to fuck you so hard' to a traumatized girl? What's wrong with me?_

"Hey. You know I would never hurt you, right? Like that." He touches her cheek, and she leans into his palm. "What I said to you in that room? I was turned-on and frustrated, and it was nothing more than verbal swagger. But you have to know, I would never be...rough...with you. Okay?"

"But what if that's what I wanted? Like in your..."

_What? The sex tape?_

Logan whimpers, drops his head back, and stares at the ceiling. "This is karma, right?"

"Would you fuck me so hard like this? Standing up?"

_I give up._

He looks back at her, eyes hardening and twists his lips into a jackass smirk. "No darling, I'd fuck you nice and slow like this. Probably a great angle for hitting your g-spot."

She scoffs, as if he'd just suggested a threesome with the Tooth Fairy.

Logan rolls his eyes. "Let me guess. Lilly convinced you it was a myth, right?"

"She may have mentioned it."

"Lilly had the patience of a gnat. She wanted me to get her off quickly, and then pound her senseless. Not a lot of room there for exploration."

Veronica presses herself harder against him. "So if it was Lilly here in this bed, how would you...?"

"I wouldn't. Because I want you. Only you. And I want you to want me back, for more than just what I can do to your body." She starts to speak, but he holds up a finger. " But since you're not going to let up on me until you get your answer...If I wanted to fuck the hell out of you..." He guides her down to the mattress. Reaches behind his back, unhooking her feet and lifts them both straight up his body to his upper chest. His hands slide down her legs - shins, knees, thighs, settling on either side of her hips. "...I'd do it like this." He yanks her to the edge of the bed, lifting her slightly off the mattress, so that his painfully hard erection presses right against her core.

She gasps, wiggles, tries to create friction.

"Much more range of motion this way," Logan says, lowering her hips back down. He caresses her thighs for a second and then smiles at her. "Any more questions?"

She shakes her head, seemingly unable to find her voice.

"Good." He pulls her back up by the hand, this time leaving plenty of space between them.

His boxers are tented away from his body, creating a slight gap between the elastic and his skin.

Veronica, thinking she's sly, surreptitiously angles for a peek.

"Perv," Logan's hands come down over the fabric, shielding himself from view, but not trying to conceal his amusement. "You know, there are consequences for evil temptresses who get innocent boys all hot and bothered."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"They must forfeit their dibs on the first shower. But, just to be nice, I'll try to save you some water."

She laughs. "Seems like a fair punishment."

He kisses her forehead and the tip of her nose. Considers her lips, but instead exhales and bounces back two steps. "Shower." He points.

She nods, and rolls over on her stomach, propping up her chin, and blatantly watching him walk to the bathroom. "Think of me?"

Logan chuckles, stopping in the doorway and smiling over his shoulder. "I always do, cupcake." He hooks his fingers into the waistband of his boxers, thinks about putting on a show for her - it's not like she's never seen his ass before. But he's terrified that she'll return the favor later.

Fisting himself in the shower has become a daily occurrence since he's started sharing a bed with Veronica. His imagination tortures him enough - the last thing he needs is a perfect visual of exactly what he's missing out out on.

He closes the door to the sound of her laughter.

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**The Titan's Trigger**

The TV drones in the background - the usual bad news: hostage crisis in Russia, body discovered in a landfill, Bush on the campaign trail.

Logan licks bacon grease from his fingers and gets to his feet. "Anybody need a coffee refill?"

Veronica, pausing in the act of devouring her French toast, peers into her cup, seeming almost disappointed to find it full. "I'm good."

"Duncan?"

He glances up from his wheat-germ smoothie and rolls his eyes. "I don't drink coffee."

"Right." Logan shrugs. "Your loss."

The carafe is heavy, and the rich aroma of hazelnut wafts up as he pours. He peels back the lid of a creamer cup, rips open a sugar packet, and empties the contents of both into his mug. Taking a sip, he returns to the couch and sits.

They'd found a map in the marina folder, and now Logan spreads it out on the center of the table.

The island is more heart-shaped than round, and by that, he means the bodily organ his game avatars often rip - still beating - from their opponents' chests.

But if it _were_ a circle - and by extension, clock shaped - then the ferry dock would be at eight o'clock, their marina at five-ish, with the shopping/playing/entertainment district in-between.

The majority of the landmass shows as green - whether the undeveloped forest area that dominates the Northern third of the map, the rolling acres of golf courses, or the large Quartermaine Estate that looks out over everything.

"It looks like this Lila's Point Avenue circles the entire island." Logan's finger traces a gray road. "I was thinking we could head Northeast and circle around the long way."

Duncan agrees. "Good idea. I saw the Quartermaine house in an architectural magazine once, and I'd love to get a better look at it."

Logan shakes his head and points to the long winding driveway on the map. "With gates like this, your magazine is the closest you'll ever get."

Veronica takes a closer look. "Who are they hoping to keep out? The other millionaires on the island?"

"From some of the stories I've heard, I wonder if they're trying to keep people in." Duncan says.

"What stories?" Veronica asks.

He fills them in on the history of the Quartermaine family. Tales of treachery, madness, and a multi-generational curse.

"Don't forget the rumors of incest." Logan doesn't realize his blunder until he catches their expressions. He drops his head to his hands. "Fuck. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. We can tiptoe around the situation, or just deal with it." She cups her hands to her mouth, as if shouting out to the world. "I spent a year making out with someone who might be my half-brother. And our parents allowed it to happen."

Duncan makes a whimpering sound. "Can I vote for the tiptoeing?"

"Hiding your head in the sand," Logan observes. "How not like you."

"What would you do? Broadcast it publicly?"

"Well, I'd probably start with a DNA test, but that's just me." Logan lifts his eyes skyward. "But she has a point.You tried the 'treat it like a dirty secret' approach, and look how well that turned out."

"Hey, at least we can finally mark-off incest on our sexual taboo Bingo cards," Veronica says, once again chewing on French toast.

"Not even remotely funny," Duncan mutters.

"Really? I thought it was," she says. "So either of you into wearing furry mascot costumes? I'm going for that coveted diagonal streak."

Logan's lips twist up, and he shakes his head. "This is Florida. Can't you at least tailor your kinks to the weather?"

"Or not at all?" Duncan suggests.

The tinny zing of a "Breaking News" bumper sounds, and they all glance up at the TV.

 

 

**[C-NOW Breaking News logo fades to an image of the four of them from last year's Homecoming, Lilly prominently featured in the foreground]**

Logan's breath catches, and that old heart-stabbing anguish threatens to overwhelm him. Until Veronica's small,  syrup-sticky hand squeezes his own. He breathes out.

 

 

**Anchor, Rebecca Doss:** Neptune, California. America's eyes have been focused on this seaside town this month since the disappearance of the Neptune Three - Logan Echolls, son of Oscar winning actor, Aaron Echolls; Duncan Kane, son of the billionaire software developer; and Veronica Mars, daughter of the former town sheriff.

**[Split screen displays: Left side: Doss / Right side: images of Lilly Kane]**

**Doss:** But it was another crime that first put Neptune on the map. The October 3rd murder of beautiful heiress, Lilly Kane. Older sister to Duncan Kane. Best friend to Veronica Mars. Girlfriend to Logan Echolls.This morning, there has been a shocking new development in the Lilly Kane murder case. We go to Ann Marler in Neptune, California for the details.

**[Split screen displays: Left side: Doss / Right side: Ann Marler]**

**Doss:** Hello, Ann. What can you tell us?

**Marler:** Hello Rebecca. Just this morning, Abel Koontz, formerly convicted of Lilly Kane's murder, was released from prison.

"What the fuck?" Duncan propels out of his seat, eyes flashing.

Logan grabs his wrist. "Dude, sit down. Flip out after we find out what happened."

Duncan clenches his jaw, but allows himself to be pulled back down on the couch.

 

 

**Doss:** Do you have any details as to how that came about, Ann?

**Marler:** Yes, I sat down earlier for an exclusive with Keith Mars.

**Anchor:** Let's go to tape.

**[Split screen fades to full screen. Ann Marler sits with Keith Mars in the Mars residence living room.]**

Keith's exhaustion is evident in his appearance, reminding Logan again, that he hasn't heard from his daughter since Dallas.

Veronica leans forward, probably drawing the same conclusions.

 

 

**Marler:** I appreciate you contacting me with this exclusive, Keith.

**Mars:** Not a problem, Ann. I'm a fan.

**Marler:** I understand that Abel Koontz is scheduled to be released from prison this morning?

**Mars:** That is correct.

**Marler:** Can you explain the circumstances of his exoneration?

**Mars:**   It was a combination of blind luck and a year of hard work. 

**Marler:** Tell me what happened.

**Mars:** Several things came together in proving Mr. Koontz' innocence. It started when my daughter Veronica found evidence of discrepancies in Lilly's time of death.

Duncan's glare swings to Veronica, and Logan slides his arm around her in a show of solidarity.

 

 

**Mars:** Further research into Mr. Koontz, unearthed a daughter, who just happened to have a large deposit in her bank account right before Mr. Koontz' arrest. But what held me up until now, was finding proof that Mr. Koontz could not have killed Lilly."

**Marler:** And you found that proof?

**Mars:** Yes, I've been chasing down a witness for almost a year, but I finally located her Thursday in Vegas. She came forward, and Mr. Koontz should be released from prison right about now.

**Marler:** Can you explain why Mr. Koontz would confess if he was innocent?

**Mars:** I learned that he has a terminal form of cancer, and I believe he accepted a bribe in exchange for his confession, in order to leave an inheritance for his daughter.

**Marler:** Do you have any evidence of who arranged the payout?

**Mars** : [looking straight into the camera] I don't have anything concrete, but I believe Jake Kane ordered the bribe.

Whatever else Keith Mars might have to say, they don't get the chance to hear it.

"My dad would never do that!" Duncan springs up from the couch again. "What the hell is wrong with your father?"

Veronica rises, hands lifting. "Right. I forgot that Jake Kane is the poster child for honesty and integrity."

He ignores the jab. "Hasn't your father hurt us enough?"

"Exonerating an innocent man hurts your family? That's a new one."

Logan steps between them before things escalate further. "Dude. You need to chill. You're not helping anything."

"It's not your father being blamed!"

"Listen to me." He moves in, so that he's the only thing Duncan can see. "Sit down, and calm down. Want me to get you some coffee?"

"For the twentieth time, I don't drink coffee!"

"Tea, then. I'll brew some water, and we'll talk calmly, okay?"

Duncan shakes off Logan's arm. "Forget it. I just want to be alone for a while." He storms up the stairs.

"Well that went well," Veronica says.

Logan sighs and turns around. "You weren't a lot of help there. I thought we were going to break the whole traffic-camera thing to him gently."

"Yeah, but then he started defending his asshole father, and I couldn't control myself. I'm so tired of the Jake Kane defense squad. He was just as guilty of letting me date Duncan as my mom was. Among other things."

Logan's scowl fades. "Veronica..." He reaches for her.

She twists away, jutting her chin out belligerently, "Sorry if I don't feel like being placated by the guy's biggest defender."

"I'm not. Not anymore."

"Since when?"

"Since I started being yours."

Her eyes soften, and her lower lip wobbles - like it can't decide whether to pout or stretch. She walks forward, poking his chest with her forehead, and he enfolds her in his arms.

"So what do you think? Should we wait around for Duncan?" he asks.

"Nah, if his tantrums are anything like yours, it could take hours. Let's go."

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**Lila's Point Avenue**  
**Nicholas Key**

The golf cart zips down the road, Veronica at the wheel, while Logan tracks their location on the island map. Who knew they could get this kind of speed out of an electric contraption designed for moving old farts from one hole in the ground to the next? It's an Italian jobby, luxury-class, with caramel-colored leather sport-seats that conform to the body (much like his dad's Aston-Martin).

Veronica had been impressed by the in-dash refrigerator, stocking it with sodas before leaving the marina. _Funny, considering the way she teased me about purchasing a portable fridge for the truck._

The grass is vividly, painfully, green here, and palm trees line both sides of the road, uniform in height and fronds.

The ocean-hugging mansions - currently on their right side - huddle closely together, their private docks compensating for smaller yards; while sprawling estates spread out over the island's interior, still claiming ocean views by way of elevation.

Immense horses graze in paddocks - glossy blacks and browns and silvers. Veronica sucks in a quick breath, turning to him with an 'are you seeing this?' look.

He worships the girl she's become - tough, fiery, sexy - but this momentary glimpse of Veronica 1.0, twists something in his heart. He reaches for her right hand, running his thumb over the pink rubber bracelet she'd started wearing yesterday. _'As a bridge to my past'_ , she'd said. _'To the girl who was still able to trust people.'_

"What?" she asks, now.

"Nothing."

They pass the occasional modern home - sterile glass structures like the Kane Estate - but most of the architecture here reflects Mediterranean, Italian, or French influences.

Logan points out the mansion his family stayed in years ago, tells her the story about his mother and the peacock.

He doesn't call attention to the home of an A-List, Oscar-winning actress Veronica's always admired. That same house he'd seen his father sneaking out of, shoes-in-hand, in the wee hours of the morning. Nor does he mention the makeout session he'd been engaged in with the woman's daughter when he'd witnessed said event.

There's building trust, and then there's fanning the flames. She's had enough reminders of his indiscriminate promiscuity to last a lifetime.

Twenty minutes into their drive, the terrain changes. A forest springs up on their left, while oceanside, the docks give way to beaches. The housing here is smaller, though still luxurious. With the exception of the occasional sports car parked in a driveway, most appear empty. If the mansions were year-round residences, these are the vacation getaway homes. Built for the ultimate in privacy and discretion, they're separated from their neighbors by wide expanses.

As they round a sharp bend in the road, a dock comes into view. Stretching far out into the water, it widens into a large, multi-level structure at the end.

"What is it?" Veronica asks.

"I don't know. It's not on the map." Logan says. "Looks like a deep-water dock."

"As opposed to?"

He shakes his head. "You can't bring a yacht up to the beach, so you have to take a dock to the yacht."

She pulls the golf cart off the road, leaning forward and peering around him. "Whose is it? and why is it out here in the middle of nowhere? We haven't passed any houses for the last minute or so."

"Nobody's, apparently." He gestures to at an Island Realty sign. Reaching over, he turns the golf cart's key to the "off" position. "Come on. Let's go check it out."

They get out and move across a wide swath of lawn. Logan points out wooden stakes in the grass connected by string. "Looks like someone was in the process of building a house here. Wonder why they changed their minds?"

She shrugs. "Somebody cheated.  The property is being sold in the divorce."

He nudges her with his shoulder. "Not everything is so ugly. Maybe the house was supposed to be a surprise for the owner's young bride, and right before they broke ground, she died of smallpox or polio or something. He couldn't bear to go on, so he threw himself into the sea."

"You realize smallpox has been eradicated, right?"

"That's what makes it so tragic."

They step out onto the dock, - solid and sturdy enough to support their weight without wobbling.

Logan touches Veronica's arm. "Race you to the end," he says, and takes off at a jog.

"I'll meet you there," she calls after him.

His footfalls echo, and he makes it across in no time.

The roofed structure is open on all sides, with stairs ascending to an observation deck. The space must have been Intended for recreation, as a half-octagon shaped bar squats in the center, a single stool left behind like an afterthought. Eight bags of concrete lean against a support pole, and two egg-shaped wicker chairs dangle from the ceiling. At the far end of the structure, embedded metal cleats wait like abandoned dogs, to secure a yacht that's never coming back.

Shallow steps lead down on either side. Probably to swim platforms. He peers over the left edge and grins.

A squeaky board from his side telegraphs Veronica's arrival. He turns around, points at her, and calls out, "Veronica Mars. Tell me I'm your one and only, forever and always, and that you'll never love another."

"Um..." She lifts a brow. "You have nice hair?"

He grips his heart as if crushed.

"And you're not related to me. That's a plus. And--"

"Too late. You've drawn blood." He spreads his arms wide and falls backwards off the side, yelling, "Goodbye cruel world!"

Her footsteps _thump thump thump_ across the decking, and then Veronica's peeking over the edge. "You are such an ass."

"But my hair is great. Come on down."

He's on his back, arms propping his head, laying on what could best be described as a cargo-net crossed with a hammock. Suspended over the ocean, and attached to the swim platform on three sides, it has just the right amount of give to get comfortable. Or catch swan-diving jackasses.

Veronica walks down the steps, hesitating at the net. "Is it strong enough for both of us?"

"It's strong enough for an elephant." He rolls over, hauls himself to his feet, and hustles wide-legged to the edge, holding out his hand. She takes it and he tugs, falling backwards and pulling her down on top of him.

Laughing, Veronica pushes herself partially up, and props her chin on her hand. "Logan Echolls. Tell me you want to make out and suck face with me for hours, and that you'll never dry hump another."

He manages to keep his idiotic smile on the inside. "You do have a phenomenal butt."

She glances over her shoulder. "I wore it just for you."

"And...I suppose...all of my humps - dry or otherwise - belong to you."

"You're such a romantic." She pulls his arm around her neck, laces their fingers together, and props her head on his shoulder. She smells like dessert, and everything good in the world.

He closes his eyes, blocking out the blinding sun. Why hadn't he remembered to bring sunglasses?

She speaks again a moment later. "Remind me again why we're not doing that?"

"Dry humping?"

"Sure, but I meant making out."

He brings their linked hands to his mouth, pressing his lips to back of hers. "I've asked myself the same question a hundred times this morning."

"And?"

_And if we don't handle this carefully, I'll end up losing you and Duncan, both._

"Everything I said yesterday. We need to take our time, and we need to be absolutely positive."

"You also said that I'm in control. Whatever I want and need."

"And I meant that." He strokes her shoulder with his thumb. "But my needs matter, too."

"Believe me, I'm all about satisfying your needs," she purrs, rolling onto her side. "You want this, Logan. I want this."

"No, you want _this_." He runs his fingers from his sternum down to his belt. Turning on his side, he meets her gaze and takes hold of her free hand. "But you can't have that without _this_." He kisses her palm and presses it to his heart. "Package deal, baby."

Her lower lip pokes out - just a little. "And just how many girls have told you that?"

"Not enough. More like zero."

Some kind of fierce emotion runs through her gaze. Pity, laced with anger.

"Okay." She exhales. "I understand your reluctance. Especially since a few days ago, I had the same reservations."

"But?"

Now she smiles, switches to a Southern belle accent. "But ah don't intend to stop using mah feminine wiles on you, suh."

"God, I hope not," he says. Which is probably about as intelligent as waving a red cape in front of a bull.

Veronica's eyes narrow, and she rolls over him, scrambling to the edge of the cargo hammock.

Something's moving out in the ocean. A whole bunch of somethings. Not here, but close enough to see without squinting.

"Oh my god." Logan moves next to her, letting his feet dangle over the water. "It's..."

"Magical," she finishes, sliding her arm around his back, and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah."

All words disappear as the dolphin pod leaps and frolics in the sparkling waves.

After, Veronica is pensive and quiet.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" he asks. "After last night's revelation?"

"You mean that old secret brother thing? Pshaw." She flicks away the idea. "Yesterday's news. I've already forgotten all about it."

He doesn't sigh at her flip response, just slides an arm around her and squeezes. "You can be real with me, Veronica."

"I'm okay." Her lips turn up - not a smile by any means, but a soft, I-appreciate-your-concern expression. "Look, I understand why Duncan kept it secret. We had a heart-to-heart the night you left us in Dallas to go on your...date." A momentary narrowing of the eyes. "I didn't have all the details then, but it was pretty clear he was on a guilt-and-shame spiral. I believe that he wanted to spare me from having to feel that way."

"Okay. But?"

She shifts, bringing her left leg up on the net and facing him. "What bothers me is that we dated for a little more than a year."

The whole thing makes him queasy, and he breaks eye contact, not wanting her to feel any worse that she already does. "Yeah, it's a clusterfuck. Maybe if you pretended it --"

"After a year of dating me, how could he actually think I would want to be protected from the reality? Did he ever know me at all?"

_No, not really._

She clutches his arm. "Hell, you only had a suspicion, and you insisted on clearing the air."

"I hate to defend the indefensible, but the version of you he dated wasn't quite as _'truth, justice, and the American way'_ as this latest incarnation," Logan says. "Plus, I really had nothing to lose yesterday."

"Where do you get that idea?" Veronica squirms out from under his arm, and turns sideways, eyes narrowing. "I've always been committed to the truth."

"So you came to me every time Lilly cheated?"

She inhales as if slapped, and averts her gaze.

_Great job, Logan. Nothing says 'Be mine, Buttercup' like putting the object of your affection on the defensive._

Veronica turns back, sets her chin. "I knew there were other guys, but how could I keep track of your constant breakups and makeups?"

"Okay," he says. Not because he believes her, but because it doesn't matter. Why allow the past to drag them down? And anyway, it tends to be a one-way street with her. Just because she expects honesty, doesn't mean she always gives it.

Veronica bites her lip, and meets his eyes. "I wasn't blind, but maybe I didn't want to know the truth."

"You loved her." Logan takes her hand, rubs his thumbs over her knuckles. "I loved her, too. And we buried our heads in the sand because it was the safe choice."

"Safe, how?"

"If I acknowledged her cheating, then I'd have to do something about it. That, or admit what a pathetic loser I was. And as long as you didn't see what was right in front of you, you didn't have to sacrifice your values for your friendship. We turned a blind eye because it made it easier to keep her at the center of our worlds."

Veronica nods - a sad little bob of the head - and lifts her eyes to the sky. Breathes in. Breathes out. She takes his other hand, meets his gaze, and squeezes. "Logan, I'm so sorry I told Lilly about you kissing Yolanda. Or for not discussing it with you first."

"Don't be." He shakes his head several times. "Don't."

"Do you remember the conversation we had the day we left Neptune?"

"Sure I do. You called me an asshole. I called you a bitch, and then I vowed to kiss you someday." He tilts his head, pretending to think. "Or maybe I kept that last part on the inside."

She gives him a little shove on the shoulder. "You told me that if I hadn't ratted you out to Lilly, you could've been there when she was murdered."

"Veronica," he begins, but she cuts him off.

"I don't know if that's true - there's way too many factors to consider. Was she going to break up with you anyway? Or if you'd been there, would her killer have waited you out? Or killed both of you?"

Logan inhales, opens his mouth, but she holds up a hand.

"Let me finish. I know I bear some responsibility for Lilly dying angry at you. And that you spent the past year blaming yourself for not being there. And for that, I'm truly sorry."

 _But I could've been there. I came back._ He lowers his face to his hands. How did this get so fucked up? "Veronica, we need to talk about that."

"We are talking about it," she says, rising to her feet. "But hold that thought. I'm a bit dehydrated. Be right back."

She crawls over to the swim platform, and climbs the steps.

Logan flops back down.

How would she react if she knew the whole story about that last fight with Lilly?

Sure, ostensibly, they'd fought over him kissing Yolanda. Lilly didn't suffer public disrespect, no matter how often she dished it out. But what had truly sparked her ire that day, had been that he'd ruined all of the progress she'd made on _'making them see how perfect they were for each other'_. Veronica could never be with a cheater, and he must have done it on purpose, so she'd give up on her quest.

She'd been wrong. The kiss that destroyed his life hadn't been planned at all. He was drunk, Yolanda was hot, interested, and available, and Lilly was fucking with his head (and probably fucking around). Veronica, her boyfriend-criteria, and their future relationship had been the last thing on his mind at the time. He'd still been in denial that it could (or should) ever happen, and she was still with Duncan.

Logan works his way over to the swim platform, and ascends the steps.

Veronica is on her way back, moving down the dock with quick strides, a bottle of soda in each hand.

He tests the chain on one of the suspended egg chairs, giving it a tug. It proves solid, so he hops up, kicking off with his toe. It spins clockwise for five or six rotations, then counter-clockwise for three. Clockwise for one.

Veronica halts it before he can set it spinning again again. She hands him an ice-cold root beer, and then springs up onto the second chair.

"I know what you want to talk about," she says.

"You do?" He toes the ground until his seat faces hers. Maybe this conversation won't be a disaster.

"Yeah." She smiles, soft and reassuring. "And you need to know, I don't think you're a cheater."

_Oh._

"I mean, I know what happened with Yolanda was an isolated incident, and that there were other contributing factors."

"Okay?"

"I just want it to be clear, any hesitation I might have in...taking that step with you...has nothing to do with me thinking you would cheat on me."

He slides off his chair, and moves in front of her. "I would never. I need you to know that."

"I know." She hooks her feet behind his thighs, using him, to pull herself up straight. "In fact, my reservations have very little to do with you. It's mostly my own hangups."

"Hangups I helped to create."

She silences him with a look. "We talked about this yesterday. Lose the hair shirt, Logan."

"Yeah, okay."

She bobs her eyebrows. "And the pants."

"Cute." His face splits into a smile. He tugs her swing closer, and presses his forehead against hers for a second.

"Guess what?" he asks cheerfully, when he pulls back.

"What?"

He leans back in, whispers in her ear. "I'd fuck the hell out of you like this, too."

"Sure you would, Romeo." She pats his cheek, eyes sparkling. "Sure you would."

* * *

Back on the golf cart, Veronica resumes driving.

They're surrounded only by sea and sand and forest here. With the exception of the pavement, the occasional real estate sign selling parcels of land, and two small groups of bicyclists, this place is untouched by humanity.

Civilization returns somewhere around ten o'clock on the map. The road widens at a neatly-maintained warehouse complex with dock access.

A minute later, on the left, a wide driveway welcomes visitors to Quartermaine Park - containing two basketball courts, a state-of-the-art playground (whatever that means), jogging paths, public stables, and a dog park, according to the map's legend.

He points out the rolling greens of one of the island's two award-winning golf courses. He'd played here before. At the third hole, his dad had pulled him aside, (fingers bruising his arm) to berate him for his half-assed game and overall sullenness. On the ninth green, he'd gotten a lecture for playing too competitively. _You can never win with Aaron._

Perched midway up a hill, the five-story Aspirazione Hotel and Spa looks out over the shore. He reads out the bullet-pointed list of services which, Veronica reminds him, they neither need, nor can afford.

He disagrees. If anyone deserves a day of pampering, it's her, but that's a debate for a different day.

Three quarters of the way into their trip, they pass the Island Ferry and enter the heart of the vacation district.

Tasteful stands offer bike rentals at the swipe of a card. On the beach, children play while their parents seek shade under cabanas and umbrellas.

Retailers border the other - more public - marina. Designer clothing, handbags, and luggage interspersed with upscale dining establishments - Italian, French, seafood.

The air holds the aromas of garlic and basil, and Veronica perks up, turning her head until her eyes light upon the red, white, and green sign of La Trattoria.

Logan playfully pretends to restrain her.

"What?" she asks. "Did you see how much I put away at breakfast? I could hardly eat another bite."

"You can _always_ eat another more."

She thinks about this for a second and then points at the Island Market. "We'll make our own Italian for dinner."

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**Huntington Marina and Yacht Club**

The Barcelona is the last of the four vessels on Duncan's list. A sweet, eighty-eight foot Pershing motor yacht, it's also the only thing standing between him and going back to face Logan and Veronica.

He works through the checklist on his clipboard at half-pace. External walkway and ramp inspection? _Check_. A board wobbles underfoot, and he repairs it like Burt demonstrated earlier. Railings? _Secure_. Hoses and cables? Utility connections? _Safe and functional._ Garbage? _Emptied._

A dock-line shows signs of fraying. He grabs fresh rope from the ATV, and kneels, fingers looping and hitching by rote.

"Look at you, becoming all zen-like with your manual labor."

His dead sister is draped like a mermaid across the yacht's bow, wearing a white-and-navy dress that could have come out of a package labeled, 'Sexy Sailor Costume'.

"Um...look around, Lilly. Do you see anyone else dressed like that for yachting?"

"Because I've always been such a conformist?" She giggles. "Hey, I don't get any more Halloweens. I need to exploit all the opportunities I get."

His chest tightens and, if he could, he woud stop October from happening altogether; just skip ahead to November.  Forever.

"While we're discussing fashion..." She wrinkles her nose and points an accusatory finger at him. "There's a logo on that polo, and it it's not a sailboat or a cute little guy on a horse."

"This is my uniform."

"Never expected to hear you say that."

"Maybe not." He finishes the knot, yanking it tight. "But I like it."

She jumps down to the dock, now dressed like a 1940's sailor whose wide-legged pants shrunk five inches in the dryer. "You know what doesn't make sense?"

"Spontaneous costume changes? Ascots?"

"My murder. The whole..." She makes air quotes. "Official story."

His body tenses. "You sound like Veronica. Your murderer is walking the streets again, and she's partially responsible."

"Why would that creepy old drunk want to kill me? I never even met him."

Sigh. "Because our father ruined him. Made millions off his work and left him behind."

"So why not murder _Dad_? Or the kid he actually liked?"

"Thanks. Appreciate that." One of the dock lights has a burned out bulb. He notes it on his clipboard. "I'm supposed to believe Dad would pay-off an innocent man to protect the real murderer? That's not the man I know!"

"You mean the one who ruined his old partner and made millions off his idea?"

 _When you put it that way._ He grinds his teeth and initials the boxes on his checklist, hoping against hope that when he looks back up, she'll be gone.

She isn't.

Lilly's sailor outfit is now a one-piece swimsuit - vintage style with low-cut legs and two rows of gold buttons. A white, flowered swim-cap covers her hair, and she sits side-saddle on the ATV, one leg crossed over the other. "You already have all the answers, you're just too afraid to face them."

Hopping down, she skips to the end of the dock and stares out at the water. "It doesn't add up. It never did." She glances back over her shoulder. "Clue in, Donut." Then she dives, disappearing into the water with a splash.

She doesn't resurface, but then again, he didn't expect her to.

He loads up his supplies, returns the ATV to the office, and signs out for the day.

Lilly's words ping-ponging off the closed doors in his memory, he heads back to the Titan's Trigger.

Duncan had taken off this morning with a nauseous feeling in his gut and no destination in mind.

Angry strides carried him away, but he couldn't maintain the emotion for long. Not when he was surrounded by some of the most majestic and awe-inspiring vessels he'd ever seen.

A little while later, he'd stopped to steady a sign Burt Dwyer, the Dock Master was installing.

Striking up a conversation about yachts, Duncan accompanied the man on his rounds, helping out when he could, and eventually, taking on the lion's share of physical tasks. Pressure-washing docks and hulls, docking and fueling boats, cleaning up litter, and pumping excess water.

He hadn't asked for a job, and Burt never mentioned one being available. But when they stopped in the office for a midday sweet tea, Burt removed the 'Help Wanted' sign from the window and tossed him a polo shirt and cap. "Just uh...keep those sunglasses on, and avoid interacting with the clients, if at all possible."

As he approaches slip 38, Logan's voice carries down on the wind. "You're the one who wanted to play trophy wife. You can't be mad when people believe you."

"I guess I should be used to people looking at me like trash by now,"  Veronica answers, as he boards.  "But it still burns me up." 

"Those women at the market weren't looking at you like trash. They may have glanced at you a bit dismissively, but that's exactly what you were hoping for. Hey, it's not too late to do Angie Dahl."

Duncan climbs the stairs to the aft deck where Veronica and Logan sit at a white-leather, horseshoe-shaped booth, sipping coffee.

"Hey, man." Logan sees him first. "Where've you been all day?"

"Working." Duncan takes off his Huntington Marina and Yacht Club cap; holds it up by way of explanation.

"You found a job?" Veronica asks.

"Let's just say it found me. It's under-the-table, but..." He fishes a smooth piece of plastic from his pocket. "It comes with this handy-dandy discount card. Twenty percent off goods at the marina store, and twenty-five percent off at the restaurants and the club."

"Veronica will be happy to hear that," Logan takes it, reading the stipulations. "She nearly had an aneurysm when she saw the prices at the Island Market earlier."

"It certainly wasn't the Sac-n-Pac." 

Logan hands back the card. "So we were just waiting for you to get back. We wanted to take the boat out for a little cruise."

"And you don't know how to operate it?"

"That too."

He chuckles, but it sounds fake to his own ears. Rolling his shoulders, he takes a deep breath and says, "I think I'm ready to talk."

Concern colors Logan's features. "Okay. We're here."

"So I noticed neither of you seemed surprised about Lilly's time of death."

Veronica adjusts her posture, sitting up straighter. "Remember when we were pulled over on our way back from covering Bodie Chang for the Navigator?"

"Yeah? What does that have to do with..." Comprehension dawns. "Lilly's unpaid ticket."

"Yes. You didn't seem to catch the ticket date, but I did. I used a fake I.D. in Lilly's name to get a copy from the sheriff's department. That's when I saw that she was still alive nearly three hours after her official time of death."

"What about you?" He turns to Logan. "You weren't any more surprised than Veronica."

"I learned about her investigation back in Dallas, while you still catatonic."

 _Catatonic_. His stomach cramps at the very word. "Okay, be straight with me. What does the change in time of death mean?"

"It means that nobody in your family has alibis," Logan says.

Duncan groans and collapses onto the little one-seater side bench.

"And..." Veronica begins. "It means that somebody in your family went to extreme measures to alter the time of death."

"Are you saying they paid off the medical examiner?"

"Or iced down the body."

"Why?" is all Duncan can say. "Why wouldn't they want Lilly's real killer caught?"

Veronica and Logan share a glance.

Dizziness overtakes him and nausea clenches his stomach. "You think I did it."

Logan gets up, looks out over the marina, and then back at Duncan. "We didn't say that, man."

"There are..." Veronica draws in a long breath. "...factors...that might suggest that."

"Factors?" Duncan lets out a bitter laugh. "Like what?"

"For one, your parents washed your soccer uniform. Celeste Kane doesn't do laundry on a good day, let alone after finding the lifeless body of her daughter."

"Is that all you've got?"

"You have that condition your dad talked about at his press conference." Logan lifts his eyes to the sky, searching for the term. "Temporal Lobe Epilepsy?"

Duncan nods, barely able to swallow around the lump in his throat.

"And you blacked out for days after her death." Veronica says.

"Why would I ever hurt my sister? I loved Lilly!"

Logan places a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I think if there is any chance you did do it, you didn't know what you were doing. Like what happened with Fitzpatrick."

Duncan grips the side of the boat. The world spins, and he's going to vomit. _Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out._ "Do you guys honestly think I killed my own sister?"

"No," Veronica whispers. "I can't bring myself to believe it, despite what happened at the Community Park."

"Me either, man," Logan says, and Duncan can breathe again.

He'd lost her a year earlier, but losing Logan would be unbearable.

Veronica stands, moves to a glossy white island, lifting the top and revealing a hidden grill and sink. She rinses out her coffee cup, sets it down, and turns back to Duncan. "There's still the problem of you not having an alibi. That's troubling."

"Come on, Veronica. Just because he doesn't have an alibi, doesn't mean he killed her." Logan says. "I don't have an alibi, either."

Her head snaps around quick enough to get whiplash. "What do you mean ? You were out of the country with Dick and Beaver."

Logan stares at his hands. "I came back early."

"You lied?"

"Not exactly. I just let everybody else lie. My dad met me at the door when I got home that night. He'd found out about Lilly, somehow, and was afraid the cops would come after me. As the jealous boyfriend, you know. He'd already spoken with Dick and Beaver, and offered them new surfboards if they would keep quiet about leaving early."

He takes a step towards Veronica, and she backs up.  "I tried to tell you. Yesterday at the rest stop, and again today at the dock."

"Great job using your words, Buddy," she spits.

 _Okay, this can't escalate any more._ Duncan stands, now resting his hand on Logan's shoulder. "Why did you leave early?"

"Because I _was_ a jealous boyfriend. She was fucking around with some other guy, and taunting me with it." He exhales, heavily. "I wasn't even sure what I wanted. To call her out on her double-fucking-standards? Or to beg her for another chance. I just knew I needed a confrontation. So I drove to the car wash."

Suspicion narrows Veronica's eyes. "I didn't see you there."

"You sure? A neon yellow truck directly across the street is a little hard to miss." Her arms cross over her chest, and Logan gets back to the point. "I didn't get out or anything. I just sat there, watching and thinking. And suddenly, all that anger that had been driving me...just drifted away. I didn't want a confrontation. I didn't even want to be in that relationship anymore. It felt sort of...peaceful, and exciting at the same time. So I wrote her a note explaining it."

"Did you give it to her?"

"Yeah, I left it in her car, with this shot glass I bought her in TJ." He moves toward Veronica holding out a hand, and again, she steps backward.

Logan's eyes widen. "Wait. You think _I_ killed her?"

Veronica just stares at him, eyes hard and mean.

"If you could just read my letter, you'd know."

"Well we don't have that letter now, do we?" Her voice could freeze lava.

This is an unmitigated disaster, and Duncan needs to find some way to fix it before it reaches the point of no return. "So just tell us where you were between the carwash and when you got home. That should clear everything up."

Logan's expression turns cagey. "I can't."

"You'd better," Veronica says.

"I. Just. Can't."

"What the hell, Logan? You think we don't know what a _manwhore_ you are? If you're so innocent, just tell us whose wife you were fucking while Lilly was being bludgeoned to death."

Duncan winces. Obviously, she's changed, but never has he heard such venom in her voice before.

Logan recoils as if gut-punched, eyes glittering with tears. "Well, I guess I know now how you feel about me, Veronica. You believe Prince Charming here, on his word, but won't take mine?"

Veronica tilts her head as if in challenge, and Logan throws up his hands. "You know what? Fuck this, and fuck you. I'm out of here."

Duncan catches a split-second glimpse of Logan's face - crumpled with despair and heartbreak - before he's careening down the stairs and off the boat.

_Oh dear God! He's fallen in love with her._

Veronica watches him go with tight lips, and cold, calculating eyes.

_And her only regret is that she didn't get the opportunity to douse him with gasoline and light a match on his way out._

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**Titan's Trigger**

He's halfway to the marina, and she's still frozen in place.

_What the hell happens now?_

They're fugitives. If Logan gets arrested, they'll all get arrested - that's if the lunatic out to murder them doesn't find them first.

_But I can't let him get away with it. He needs to pay._

Her blood is ice water. How is she supposed to think when she's shivering like this? Get warm first - if she ever can again - then think.

Grabbing her mug - still wet - she jogs down the stairs to cabin, and into her stateroom.

She doesn't look at the bed. Won't look at it. _He made me trust him._ Heads straight to the closet, clanking hangers - my clothes, his clothes, my clothes, his clothes. _Are you sure we didn't get married? Ha ha. So domesticated._ Ignoring Logan's super-plush hoodie, she yanks her own lighter-weight one off the hanger and shrugs it on.

_Still freezing._

Duncan's standing in the stateroom doorway when she comes back out. "Logan didn't kill Lilly."

"We can't know that." She shoulders past him, moves to the counter and refills her mug from the carafe Logan brewed twenty minutes ago.

_So considerate. For a psychopath._

"I _do_ know that. And I think you do too."

They need a new plan. They can't stay here. The boat is Logan's, but they can take the Explorer. And head where? Chicago? Liam Fitzpatrick is there now, searching for them. She can work with that. Or Dallas, maybe. Who would expect them to go back there?

She'll call in an anonymous tip once they're a few hundred miles away. _Logan Echolls killed Lilly Kane, and he's currently in Miami._

That should lure Liam right back to Florida. Two psychos. One stone.

She takes the coffee to her stateroom, sets it down next to his stupid, creepy, codependant statue, and retrieves her bags from the under-floor cubby.

"What are you doing?" Duncan's shadow darkens the doorway.

"What does it look like? Go pack."

"I'm not going anywhere." He's wearing that obstinate expression she hasn't seen in ages.

"Well, you can't stay here with your sister's killer. You realize that, right?"

Heading back into the closet, she snatches clothes from the rod. _Mine, not mine, mine, not mine_. Doesn't bother with removing the hangers. No time. Folding and stuffing, and... _shit. that's his black tee-shirt_.

"I'm. Not. Going. Anywhere." Duncan repeats. "I've known Logan since I was five. He did not kill my sister. His very nature is to protect the ones he loves."

She stops shoving clothes in her bag and looks at him. "Oh, is that what he's been doing for the past year? Protecting me? Because it felt a lot more like torture."

Duncan sighs. "I understand that he's hurt you, but that just means he's an asshole, not a killer."

"And you can't possibly be both a killer and an asshole." She rolls her eyes.

He shakes his head, mulishly. "Logan did not kill Lilly. I would believe that _I_ did it and blacked-it-out before I'd buy that he did."

"That's not helping your case."

Which cubbies are hers and which are Logan's? _Damn, all of these built-ins._

"You sleep with him every night."

She sighs. "That's for practical reasons. The nightmares, and..."

"Exactly. Do you really think your instincts would allow you to sleep with - to be at your most defenseless with - a killer?"

Her instincts have always led her wrong when it comes to Logan. Why should this be any different? "He won't tell us where he was at the time of her death."

"That just means he was doing something embarrassing. This is Logan we're talking about. Cagey is his middle name."

Her chest aches and her mouth won't formulate a response.

"Search your heart for the truth, Veronica."

"Can't you see, I'm afraid of what's in my heart?" She sounds too shrill. Too pathetic. "I knew who he was, but somehow he made me trust him. I feel like such an idiot. After everything he's done to me!"

"He was a shithead," he agrees. "And he's spent every day since we left Neptune trying to make it up to you."

Duncan has a point.

What was it Peggy told her back in Dallas? _"There is no 'earning' trust. You need to give it away on faith and then hope that the person will live up to your belief in them."_

Over the past few days, Logan's gone above and beyond, justifying her faith in him. He's been her rock, supporting her through the worst, but never making her feel weak or needy. Never forgetting how necessary humor is for her as a coping mechanism. He'd gracefully deflected her physical advances, without rejecting her. Quite the contrary. And he'd brought the truth about Duncan to her the moment he figured it out. In fact, he _had_ tried to confess something to her yesterday at the rest stop, and she'd told him to save it.

If she's learned anything about him since leaving Neptune, it's that he would sacrifice life and limb for the people he loves. That he values them - her and Duncan - more than himself.  And he loved Lilly - even if he'd been telling the truth about the note - she knows he did, and he would have traded his own life for hers.

"He didn't do it, Veronica," Duncan repeats for like the four-hundredth time.

She turns around, meeting his eyes in a firm gaze. When she speaks, it's to repeat his words. "He didn't do it.   _Oh God,_ he didn't do it."

She snatches her bag, dumps it out on the bed, and scavenges through the contents until she finds the burner phone. Pressing speed dial #1, she holds her breath.

Ringing chirps from the top of Logan's nightstand where the device sits charging. _Fuck!_ "He didn't take his cell with him."

"He wasn't wearing any kind of disguise either," Duncan says. "But he'll be back."

"What makes you so sure? What if he doesn't return? What if he thinks he's better off without us?" _Oh God, if I've lost him..._ Her heart aches, and her throat scratches like she has the flu.

Duncan shakes his head adamantly. "Logan won't leave us alone - not with Liam Fitzpatrick out there - no matter how hurt he is. For all of his posturing and attitude, he's still that kid who's always wanted to be Batman."

She pauses in her response. "No!"

"Yeah." He nods. "He spent three months in first grade speaking only in Batman-voice. Got him sent to the principal's office at least once a week, but he refused to relent. Then, there was the mask."

Veronica can feel her features softening, her tension draining. "I envy you, you know. Your ability to believe in people without any evidence. I lost that after Lilly."

"It's not really like that. I believe in Logan. He's never let me down. And you. That's about it, now that Lilly's gone."

"Me? We haven't exactly related much ever since..."

"Are you kidding? You're the brains of this operation. We'd probably be dead already without you. Logan's the heart. The glue that keeps us together. And me?" His voice wobbles, as if he's struggling to keep back his emotion. "I'm supposed to be the who's reliable, responsible, but out here? I'm useless."

"Don't sell yourself short," she says. "You actually know how to work this boat, and more importantly, you hold the discount card."

He laughs, breaking the tension. "As goes the discount card, so go I?"

"Something like that." Veronica says. She pats him on the arm. "Come on. Let's go teach you to be useful. You're going to make me dinner."

Back in the galley, she collects ingredients - tomato sauce, spices, dried rigatoni. She cuts Duncan off before he can speak. "If I hear one word about using boxed pasta, so help me..."

* * *

 

Duncan ended up proving not nearly as useless as one might expect, although she did have to persuade him that extra vegetables would not be necessary. And he'd scoffed at the idea of using paper plates - something about living in a disposable society.

"You want us to eat off of real plates, you can do the dishes," she'd said (but of course, she had to teach him how to do that, as well).

The evening hasn't been a complete bust. She chatted with her dad while cleaning up the mess she made in the stateroom. _No, Logan can't come to the phone. He's out doing a side job. No, nothing illegal. I promise._ Afterwards, she'd taught Duncan everything she knew about budgeting. He seemed to have an affinity for the task, so she'd dubbed him 'Boat Treasurer'.

"You don't drink," she said when he poured himself a tumbler of something amber.

"It's been a very rough couple of days."

"Well, in that case..." she slid an empty glass towards him.

The stuff burned going down, but - after two drinks - she could finally warm up inside.

He seemed to be having an internal struggle. "Veronica?"

"What?" she asked.

"Should we...maybe...talk about it?" "What happened between us that one night? At the party?"

She didn't need for him to clarify. A week or so after Homecoming last year, they'd found themselves a little out-of-the-way hidey-hole at Enbom's Autumn Bash. With the makeout growing more heated - at least for Duncan - she'd worked up the nerve to move his hand onto her breast. Pulling at the button on his jeans, she'd asked if there was anything she could do for him. Of course, he'd become squirrely, suddenly remembering something he had to do with his dad in the morning, and could he take her home early? At the time, the rejection had stung, but considering what she knew now...

She shivered. "No, let's not. In fact, I would be fine with saying we imagined the entire thing, and never thinking about it again."

He let out a little exhale of relief. "I support that proposition." He held out his glass. "To: _it never happened_."

"It never happened."  She toasted, sipped and, other than _that_ minor hiccup, the atmosphere the rest of the evening might be described as comfortable.

They've been talking and bickering and playing video games for hours now.  Almost like siblings. Veronica's eyes have strayed periodically to the stairs, although mostly she's successfully hidden her concern. This time, though, Duncan catches her.

"He'll be back," he puts his arm around her and squeezes.

"If he knows what's good for him," she answers, dropping her head to his shoulder. "I know a little bit about bounty hunting."

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**Titan's Trigger**

The steps are too steep, and the world spins. Logan braces himself as he takes the stairs down to the cabin.

Literally. Why did he drink so much?

Figuratively, too, come to think of it. Because who knows what kind of Veronica-hell waits below?

_Oh yeah. That's why I drink._

Will they demand that he immediately turn around and leave again? If she looks at him like she did earlier, he just might take off anyway.

How could she believe that he would ever hurt, let alone kill, Lilly? If he had killed her, why would he have volunteered the fact that he had no alibi? _Bet you didn't consider that, Ms. Genius._

They're sitting together on the couch - practically cuddling. _What the fuck?_

"Well isn't this cozy?"

"Logan!" Veronica's up and moving towards him. "Where have you been?"

"Somewhere else." he sidesteps her, turning to the galley.

She's right there on his heels, opening her mouth to interrogate him, when his...well...companion is probably too nice of a word - steps into the doorway.  "Snazzy."

An inch or two taller than Veronica and slighter in build, her blindingly-blue eyes contrast sharply with her black hair, black eyeliner and...black _everything, to be honest._

"Who's this, Nolan?" It's funny - that deceptively calm thing Veronica does with her voice when her eyes are narrowed slits of wrath.

"Um..." he waves a hand, shrugs. "Introduce yourselves."

He leans into the freezer, searching for that bottle of Gray Goose he'd put in to chill last night.

One sharp exhale and she's walking away. Straight to their stateroom.

"Does this mean that we can't be outfit-sharing buddies?" The other girl calls after her.

Veronica freezes, squaring her shoulders before looking back. _Ice Queen in the hizouse!_   "I'll tell you what. If I decide to dress up as Goth Barbie for Halloween, I'll look you up." The door slams.

"Goth?" Wide-mouthed, the girl turns to Logan. "Does this look Goth to you?"

He'd probably call it more, 'Avril-Lavigne-meets-goth', with the knee-length, lace-up boots, one of those tops with bra hooks up the front, and ripped pants flashing glimpses of fishnet. But what the fuck does he know about fashion?

In the words of the great Romeo Scavo, he's a fashion 'DON'T'.

He turns his attention back to freezer, moves aside a half-loaf of garlic bread. So much for _'How do you feel about getting even more domestic and cooking dinner together tonight, Logan?'_ Ah, there's the vodka.

The girl drops down onto the couch. "Nice digs. I'm going to love it here."

"Fuck you." Logan says.

She blows him a kiss and then points to the guest stateroom. "So I guess that's my bedroom?"

"No, that's my room." Duncan, who's remained silent up to now, speaks up. "Um...Nolan? Explanation?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being rude." Logan gestures between the two. "Duncan, meet our new blackmailer.  Blackmailing Bitch, meet Duncan."

"I also answer to Zadie." She reaches out her hand, and Duncan, a gentleman even at his most bewildered, takes it and shakes.

"She followed me home like a stray mongrel. I tried to lose her, but she clings tighter than an STD."

"What do you want from us?" Duncan asks.

"I'll start with your bedroom," Zadie stands and heads into the stateroom. Switching on the light, she lets out a whoop of delight.

A thud follows - her leaping onto the platform bed - followed by a series of thumps.

Logan sticks his head in the doorway. "Do you mind?"

She's kicking her feet on the mattress. Like a freaking toddler's tantrum, except with laughing instead of tears.

"I can't help it!" She lifts up on her elbows pressing one hand to her wide, smiling mouth. "It's so comfy and clean. Not a rat or cockroach in sight."

"You sure about that? I'm looking at one right now?"

"Where?" Her head snaps around, and then she rolls her eyes. "Funny, but not even you can ruin my good mood, Lord Byron."

"That's me. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Just ask Veronica."

She hurries past him into the bathroom. "The towels are like clouds!" Cabinets and drawers open and close.

Logan flops onto the couch beside Duncan. "God help us."

"What are you complaining about? You're not the one who lost a bedroom."

"You don't think? In case you missed it, Veronica accused me of murder. And manwhorishness. And probably a dozen other offenses after I left."

"Dude, you're drunk. Talk to her in the morning."

"Oh, I'll talk to her tomorrow. Long enough to say _'Farewell, Tundra!_ '" Duncan misses the joke as usual, so he explains. "Because she's an ice queen. _'So long, Antarctica. Thanks for the..._ "

"Memories?"

_Blue balls._

"And anyway, I'm not even full-on-drunk, yet." He unscrews the lid on the Gray Goose, and is in the process of lifting it to his lips, when Zadie swoops in, snatching it from his grasp.

"Ohhh. The good stuff." She chugs straight from the bottle.

He exchanges a glance with Duncan, and then stands. Pulling the bottle from her hands, he walks to the galley, pours himself a full glass, and gives it back to her.

"I bet that couch transforms into a bed," Zadie addresses Duncan. "Get up, and we'll check."

"And then you'll sleep on it?"

"Not a chance." She winks. "That's for you. And maybe Loverboy here, too. Looks like he's in the doghouse with the girlfriend."

Logan sits, pulls Duncan's arm around him, and bats his lashes.

"Logan and Veronica aren't dating."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself. Didn't you see footage from that mall?"

"No, what happened?" He turns to Logan.

"Selling the dream, man. You can be an outlaw supercouple, too!" Logan makes an invisible marquis with his hands. "They wanted romance, we gave them romance. They gave us a diversion."

"I see," Duncan says.

"Veronica's a great pretender." He swallows a long gulp of vodka. "Guess it's a Kane thing. You'd be proud."

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**The Titan's Trigger**

So much for _'I want you, and only you, Veronica'_. Logan's symbolic commitment to her lasted about as long as the first murder accusation.

_It's not like I had him arrested, or anything._

Why did she even unpack? She can't stay here. Not when he's already with another girl. A girl with a dancer's body and a face like something out of fairyland.

Even if it's just a hookup, - and who is she kidding, of course it's just a hookup - she can't live this way. Wondering who he's fucking every time they get into a minor fight. Or walking on eggshells out of fear of propelling him into another bimbo's arms.

A light tapping comes from the door.

Veronica swipes away tears as it opens. "Yes?"

"I need to come in for a minute." Logan's voice. Neutral.

"It's your yacht."

She shrinks back into the darkness as he shuffles past. _Mask up. Face of stone. Never let him see you cry. He'd enjoy it too much._

A blue night-light turns on in the bathroom, not bright enough to blind her, but still illuminating him through the partially open door as he brushes his teeth and goes through his ridiculous skincare routine.

"I'll leave in the morning." He says, patting some kind of serum onto his skin.

"The boat?"

"The boat. The state. Your life."

A sob forms in her throat. She swallows it back. "You want to leave?"

The night light goes off, denim rustles. "No, but you clearly don't want a murderer around."

"Shut up, Logan."

"Shutting up."

The closet light turns on.

Silhouetted in the doorway, he peels off his top, tossing it into the hamper. He thumbs open the fly on his jeans, a hanger clinks, and he drapes a clean tee shirt around his neck. He ducks down at the foot of the bed, and - in the glow from the closet - fumbles around in one of the platform's cubbies.

"What are you doing now?"

"Oh, I'm allowed to speak again? You've caught me, Nancy Drew. I'm hiding murder weapons. That, or looking for clean sheets. For the couch bed."

"The one in the cabin?"

"Yes, the one in the cabin." He stands, a pile of linens in his hands, turns off the closet light, and heads back to the door.

So he's going to make her listen? Punish her by showing her what she's missing out on, when she'd so clearly demonstrated her interest in him?

"Real classy, Logan."

He lets out a pained sigh. "What have I done now?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Don't forget your _condoms_ in the nightstand."

He laughs, bitter and ugly. "Why? You afraid I'm going to impregnate your brother, or give him an STD?"

"Don't play dumb. Fine, I don't care. Knock up your little groupie. Mommy and Daddy will just pay her off, anyway. No consequences for Logan."

"Groupie?" The designation seems to tickle him. "You mean old Tartful Dodger, who stole Duncan's bedroom? The only way I'm using a condom on her, is over her face."

"What?" Veronica sits up.

"To suffocate her. You know, because I kill young girls. Wow, you guys are slow catching the murder jokes tonight."

"No, the other part."

"She's a con-woman, Veronica. A grifter. She's keeping her mouth shut in exchange for a vermin-free roof over her head, but who knows what she'll demand next?"

"And you brought her here? Some kind of parting gift before you abandon us?"

"Abandon YOU?" She can't see him, but if his exasperated tone is any indication, dramatic hand gestures are a-flying. "You're the one who turned on me. And anyway, I thought I'd lost her. I zig-zagged all over the place, but this chick could give you lessons on tenacity."

"Oh really?" Sounds like a challenge. Veronica slides out of bed. "Let's just see about that."

Logan's leaning against the door. He hits the nearest tap-light.

"Move, please."

"What're you gonna do?"

"I'm going to go toss her out her out on her thieving ass."

"Fine." He moves aside. "She seems reasonable. I'm sure she'll shake our hands, wish us luck, and wait until the morning to call the cops."

Veronica hesitates.

"Or maybe you can wake up your couch-cuddling buddy to drive the boat. Make a run for the border. Like OJ, except with a luxury yacht instead of a Bronco."

"God you're annoying. I suppose it can wait until morning. But then, she's got to go." She climbs back up onto the bed.

"Thought you'd see it that way."

She stops him as he's reaching for the door knob. "Why did you let me think she was a conquest?"

" _Let_ you? Since when has Veronica Mars needed permission to call me a bad guy?" He runs a hand through the top of his hair. "Anyway, I was a bit more concerned about your other accusations."

"You're an asshole."

"And you're a bitch." He turns off the tap light and opens the door. "Goodnight, Veronica." The way he says it - with a sort of catch in his voice - tugs at something inside her.

"Logan?"

"Huh?"

"Stay."

"Stay where? The boat?"

"The boat. Florida. In my life. In my bed."

Silence. Her heartbeats stretch out for an eternity. Is he leaving? Is he staying?

 _Click_.

The mattress dips. Logan crawls up from the bottom, kneeling - no, straddling - her hips. She reaches for him, but he captures her wrists, pressing first one, and then the other into the mattress next to her head.

He shifts forward, lowering himself over her. His tension coils like a live wire, and there's something dangerous about him right now. Something that makes her nipples tighten, and her pulse race with excitement.

She tastes toothpaste on his breath as he draws closer, and his lips whisper against the side of her mouth. "Are you afraid of me, Veronica?"

He's testing her.. She's seen a dozen flavors of this behavior over the years. He's pushing boundaries, and living up to people's bad opinions. _You're going to reject me anyway, so might as well get it over with._

She fakes a yawn. "I've seen scarier."

"Do you believe I killed Lilly?"

"No."

He brushes her hair back from her forehead. "Do you think I could ever hurt you?"

She understands the behavior - she really does - and the feelings motivating it. She's even a little turned-on. But she won't allow him to think she'll tolerate this kind of bullshit.

Her eyes have adjusted enough to make out his face in the moonlight. His pretty, jackass face, and that dumb lower lip that's always hanging just a little bit slack.

So she takes it between her teeth. The lip. She doesn't suck it, or bite it. She just gets a grip on it and locks her jaw.

Logan spends a moment or two digesting this, and then gives a little tug.

She holds firm.

He wiggles his head.

Nothing.

"Ronkah?"

"Hmm?"

"Thash naw shekshi, Ronkah."

"Not trine be," she speaks around the fleshy obstruction.

"Ca you yecko?"

"Caw you staw beeng a zhockass?"

"Kay."

She releases him.

"Oh my god!" He pulls away, sitting back on his heels. A look of horror crosses his face. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you."

"I don't deserve forgiveness." Logan crumples, wrapping both arms around her, and pressing his face to her sternum like a shipwrecked man clinging to floating debris. "I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

Veronica runs her fingers through his hair. "To answer your question, no, I know you would never hurt me. Just...don't ever get aggressive with me to prove a point again."

"Never."

"Unless the point is that you're going to _'fuck me so hard'_.

Logan lets out a choked laugh against her collar bone.

"Or I might be down for some aggressive kissing." _Right now, perhaps?_ Having his face between her breasts isn't helping her libido any. "Just never be aggressive when you're angry, okay?"

"I'm not angry, Veronica." He lifts up his head. "I swear. I'm just afraid."

"I believe you."

He shifts to his side. "I didn't kill Lilly, but I'm sorry for lying about my alibi."

Breathe, Veronica. He's being sincere right now, but her nipple is sincerely about to poke him in the ear.

"I was afraid you and Duncan would kick me out."

"Of your own boat?"

"You could have left me behind."

"And you'd probably be better off. Look what we've brought down on you. You stopped to help a girl out, and ended up a fugitive."

He shifts, glancing up at her face. "I don't think you understand, Veronica."

 _That makes two of us, considering your mouth is inches from my breast, and you still want to chat._ "Understand what?"

"I wouldn't take it back. I'd take away your suffering and Duncan's suffering. I'd take away the danger. But not this. Wherever you are is where I want to be."

Words can't convey the warmth and contentment his statement elicits in her. She scratches at his scalp, and he leans into her touch like a happy puppy.

They fall asleep twined together.

 

* * *

**Day Nine**  
**The Titan's Trigger**

  
She wakes in darkness, heart pounding and adrenaline surging. The momentary panic of being alone and abandoned. Again.

An hour may have passed, or three - she has no idea - but soft, sleeping breaths drift across the side of her neck and the heavy arm draped over would prevent her from turning enough to check the clock. If she cared about the time, that is.

Just a dream. He's still here.

She rolls onto her left hip, facing Logan. He's on her side of the bed tonight, and enough moonlight streams through the stateroom window to make out the thick sweep of lashes on his cheek, the relaxed set of his jaw.

No tension in him now. He's okay.

_I came so close to losing him today._

What if he'd decided they weren't worth the trouble? What if he hadn't come back?

Her throat closes-up and she wiggles closer, a sudden instinct to cling to him.

_I can't lose you. I need you. I..._

She exhales, and presses her forehead to his. The tips of their noses touch, and she tastes his every exhale.

His body is warmth, aligned with hers from chest to hips. Smooth bare skin against her forearms, denim against her thighs.

Emotion swells through her like a symphony. Her fingers skim across his cheek, and down his jawline as her nose slides to the right.

She needs only to move her lips a centimeter or two to kiss him. So she does. One whisper-soft kiss to his sleeping mouth.

He's not a fairytale princess, and he doesn't wake.

_Could you be any more creepy, Veronica? This is not okay._

She sighs, pulling away. _Just turn over, be his little spoon, and go back to sleep._

Logan stops her. Threading his fingers through her hair, he pulls her back to his mouth with a little ' _mmm_ ' sound. His lips part, and his tongue tastes of toothpaste and vodka as it glides sensually against hers.

She clutches at him - hair, skin, neck, shoulders. The kiss is a tsunami in her belly, at the intersection of desire, chemistry and emotion. She can't get enough of his mouth.

Her leg inches forward, inner knee sliding up to his hip. Logan's palm glides down her spine, over her ass, wraps around the back of her thigh.

She kisses around his mouth - the corners, cupid's bow, bottom lip. Their bodies move together, rocking right and left, until he plants his shoulder and rolls on top.

His mouth moves to her neck, licking, biting, sucking. Veronica clutches his hair, calves bracing against the back of his thighs, urging movement, friction.

Logan complies, his hips rock, and she arches into him. They move together, creating overwhelming sensations deep inside her. _Sensations she needs to control._

Pushing at him, she rolls him back and climbs on top. She curls over him and he holds back her hair as she explores his mouth, raw and demanding. Biting and sucking at his lips.

Logan's hand slides under her shirt, sweeping caresses over her naked spine and shoulder blades.

She finds the rhythm again, rolls her hips, undulates. Pressure builds, and she mouths at his neck, tasting salt and skin and Logan. His collarbone, his chest. She flicks her tongue over his nipple, and he lets out something between a moan and a growl.

Bracing her hips, he grinds his erection against her once, twice. He releases her abruptly, pulling her back to his mouth, and giving her a soft, tender kiss. Another one.

And then...the jackass rolls onto his side and pulls her snug. Spooning.

Surely he's going to do something. Touch her someplace fun. Show her that famous Echolls Magic.

His breathing grows softer. Shallower. Slower. Asleep.

_Oh my god. What the hell just happened? How much did he drink?_

Frustrated, Veronica lays awake feeling...unfinished. Following her urge to rub her thighs together does nothing to relieve the ache. Finally, unable to take it any longer, she throws off Logan's arm and slips out of bed.

She gives the cold shower thirty seconds before she gets sick of chattering teeth and shivering, and she turns it to warm. As the water beats down on her, she relives what just happened. The way he made every cell come to life, the way her body 'just knew' what it was supposed to do, some sort of primal drive making up for what she lacks in experience.

She lifts the shower nozzle from its cradle. Guides the stream across her flesh. Over her breasts, her belly, and down between her thighs.

At first, she doesn't get what the big deal is. She experiments with the settings, trying out soft sprinkles and concentrated streams. Massaging, pulse, one that sprays in circles. It's not an unpleasant sensation, but certainly nothing to write home about.

Until she tilts her wrist just a fraction of an inch more.

Oh.

OHHHHHHHHH.

Falling back against the wall, she clings to the hand rail while waves of pleasure crash through her.

She crawls back into bed in a much better mood. Logan senses her presence, pulling her close again.

"You're wet," he mumbles, licking a water droplet off the back of her shoulder.

"No thanks to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAD MAD LOVE to those who kept me going on this chapter when I was afraid I'd NEVER meet my date, GC, Bry, The Hive Mind, Susan, and especially CCS, who didn't bat an eye when I sent her like five new scenes in a week. You all are freaking amazing!


	29. Day Ten - Grifters Gonna Grift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So DAY TEN got just a little unwieldy.  
> I didn't want to miss my August deadline, so here's a 10K Island chapter. Watch for another 15K Mainland chapter in the next few days.

* * *

 

It's a good way to wake. Veronica's warm body nestled snug against him. His fingers slightly under the bottom edge of her shirt. Smooth skin, the indent of a navel. His idea of Heaven.

Except...that can't be right. Veronica hates him now. Thinks he's some evil monster capable of murdering her best friend in cold blood.

_Which means...this ain't Veronica._

Nausea rolls through him, twisting his belly into knots.

He cheated. He fucking cheated. Veronica hasn't even agreed to give this thing a go, and he's already betrayed her.

He can't open his eyes. Doesn't want to know.

It must be that girl who followed him home. _Zoe? Zelda? Who gives a shit?_

She was gorgeous, and no other single man would've turned her down. But he would've. If he'd been in his right mind, that is.

She shifts, pressing tighter against the length of his body, and he catches a familiar whiff of shampoo. _Veronica?_

_Oh thank God. Thank fucking God._

Which creates an entirely new dilemma. How the hell did he end up in here? And how ugly will things get if she finds him in her bed?

Opening his eyes, Logan gingerly rolls away from her and climbs out of bed. Fuck. His head throbs and he smells like a distillery.

He tiptoes into the bathroom, grabs a fresh towel, and turns on the faucet. Water jets out in spirals, like the sprinklers in his yard back home. _Huh._ He switches it back to a straight spray, adjusts the temperature to hot and steps inside.

He skips his usual shower whack-session. There isn't time, if he wants to be out of the stateroom before she wakes. Also, fearing Veronica's wrath isn't wonderful for the libido.

He washes his hair, conditions, drags a scratchy mesh pouf over his body.

_What happened last night?_

He remembers a bar. Drinking. A diamond-clad hand on his thigh, and a much-needed rescue. _Oh there you are. Come on. I got us a table._ More booze. Blackmail. A low-speed golf cart chase. Veronica, slamming a door in his face. Duncan's goofy expression when he lost his stateroom. Vodka. The couch. And...blackness.

Whatever confrontation is coming, he'd rather it take place anywhere but their bedroom. _Her_ bedroom now.

What's left to say, anyway? She called him a murderer, for fuck's sake. And a man whore.

Logan rinses away the last of the lather, then turns off the water and wraps a fluffy towel around his hips.

He nearly jumps out of his skin when he opens the enclosure door to find Veronica squinting into the bathroom mirror and patting down her bedhead.

Her reflection meets his eyes, offers a sleepy smile. "Good morning."

He freezes. "What are you doing in here?"

"Don't tell me you've suddenly discovered modesty?" She turns around, an amused tilt to her head. "Relax, the door was all fogged up. I couldn't see anything."

_What?_

He runs a hand over his face, and exits onto the cold ceramic floor. "I'm sorry, but...how?"

"Condensation, Logan. Basic third grade science." She steps close, fiddling with the sides of his towel, as if to tug it up higher on his hips.

"No." He shakes his head and exhales, reaches blindly for a hand towel on a ring and misses by six inches.

_Why are you pretending there's nothing wrong?_

"Hangover?" She opens the medicine cabinet, and retrieves a bottle of Excedrin, shaking two pills out on her palm.

Logan takes them and dry swallows.

Veronica hands him his orange toothbrush, and he holds it, while she squeezes a bead of toothpaste onto it.

She notices something in his face. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" He laughs, harsh and ugly. "Hmmm, last I checked, you called me a murderer. And a man whore, and wanted me to get the fuck out, so I'm a little confused why you're assisting me with my oral hygiene and acting like everything is normal."

"You don't remember?"

"I remember you lovingly welcoming me home by slamming the bedroom door in my face - or sliding, I suppose - and I remember cracking open the Gray Goose. Everything else is a blur."

Veronica's face seems to wilt, her easy affection chilling into something cold.

Guess that was the wrong answer.

She turns back to the mirror, reaches for her own toothbrush. "I don't think you murdered Lilly. Which we already established last night, when you came in to grab clean sheets."

The tightness in his chest loosens. Slightly. "And I stayed for the ambience?"

Pointedly avoiding his eyes, she squeezes toothpaste onto her brush.

"What? Did we argue?"

"A little. Mostly about you bringing home your little bar-buddy." She speaks calmly, but her jaw does that thing it does when she's pretending not to care.

"Veronica, that wasn't what it looks like. I didn't--"

"We discussed that, too. She's a con artist."

Something is wrong. Other than the whole blackmailer thing. "And what else happened?"

"Nothing."

She's lying. Disappointed in him for not remembering. "Right. Because you always undergo rapid-mood-fluctuations for no reason. How about giving me a summary? Did we discuss anything of consequence?"

"Not really. Just your very...profuse...apology. "

_What did I have to apologize for?_

"Drunk and pathetic?"

She nods with a cryptic grin.

_Oh fuck. It all makes sense, now. I told her I'm in love with her._

Veronica avoids further questioning by aggressively brushing her teeth.

He must've spilled his feelings while begging for forgiveness. And that confession must have contributed to her decision to let him stay.

Setting his toothbrush down on the counter, Logan moves behind her, sinking down in his knees and propping his chin on her right shoulder. "Veronica?"

"Hmmm?"

He pokes out his bottom lip, sets his eyes to maximum hound dog, and tries to catch her gaze.

Veronica can poker-face with the best though, even when confronted with his full puppy-dog onslaught.

"Just because I can't remember saying something doesn't mean it's not true."

She arches a quizzical brow.

"For instance, if I got wasted and admitted my reverence for your round little ass, it wouldn't be a lie."

And there it is. The left side of her mouth quirks. She spits toothpaste into the sink, swishes water around, and spits again.

"Or if I told you that you're everything to me, and I'd do anything not to lose you. That might be true, also."

Her face goes soft. She rinses her toothbrush and puts it away, then takes his hands from her hips and pulls them all the way around her.

He kisses the top of her head. "So where do we stand?"

"Same place we stood yesterday morning."

"Yesterday morning when you didn't think I killed my girlfriend?"

"Ex-girlfriend. And I still don't. I believe you, Logan."

"Or did you mean yesterday morning when you teased me mercilessly until I was forced to run for the sanctuary of the shower?"

"Teased you mercilessly?" Veronica turns around, fingers playing connect-the-dots with the water droplets on his chest. "Whatever could you be implying by that?"

Logan groans. "You are pure evil"

She chuckles, softly, strokes her thumbs over his hip-bones. "Did you mean--"

"Don't you dare." Logan cants his hips away from her.

"I like seeing you flustered."

"Back, Temptress."

She laughs aloud, eyes crinkled and tongue between her teeth.

"Hey." Logan cups her face in his hand. "Thank you. For letting me stay."

"Thank you for coming back." She bites her lip. "I was worried for a while."

He skims his fingers over her temple. "I made you a promise, didn't I? I'm not going anywhere until you tell me to go."

Veronica meets his eyes. "And why would I ever tell you to go?"

"I don't know." He shrugs. "Maybe you'll fall for some pretty boy punk who doesn't want me around."

"I would just have to tell him we're a package deal."

Logan leans back, glancing through the open door. "Were going to need a bigger bed."

Veronica rolls her eyes and shoves at his shoulder, and he supposes the conversation is over.

He squeezes past her, grabs his toothbrush from the counter and turns on the water, letting it run while he brushes.

"Wasteful." Veronica reaches around him, fills a cup, and then shuts off the tap. A moment later the shower fires up.

He continues brushing, watching the mirror as she sets the temperature and tucks a towel on the inside bar. Obviously, she'll toss him out of the bathroom as soon as he's done.

Except, she doesn't. She steps into the enclosure and closes the door. Her shirt flies over the top, landing on Logan's shoulder. Her shorts land at his feet.

He dares a peek at the stall door door.

 _Fuck_. Technically, she was right, condensation prevents him from glimpsing any tits or ass. But there's no doubt the skin colored form behind the glass is female. And utterly naked.

He finishes brushing, rinses his mouth, and leaves his brush in the sink until it's safe to turn on the water. He's seen enough television to know that turning on a faucet in one place can scald someone using water elsewhere. Of course, none of those shows took place on a luxury yacht, but he's not going to be the one responsible for damaging Veronica's (luminous, touchable, probably-delicious) skin.

"Hey, Logan. Do you see my shampoo and conditioner out there anywhere? I thought I'd left them in here, but they're missing."

He checks the shelves and counters. "I don't see them. Where else could they be?"

"No idea. Can I use yours?"

"Go for it."

He dresses in the stateroom - khaki cargo shorts and a black tee-shirt. Back in the bathroom, the skin colored shape behind the glass is less distinctive. Small miracles.

Logan starts on his hair, smoothing product through the strands and finger-spiking the top. He's overdue for a haircut, but he can probably go another week.

The shower turns off. Veronica emerges, wrapped in a towel, and no, he is not going to give her a taste of her own wicked medicine. Somebody needs to be the mature adult in this relationship.

She winds a smaller one around her hair, and leaves the room.

Logan rinses his toothbrush and puts it away. He squirts blue shave gel onto his palm and lathers up his face.

So, assuming he confessed his feelings to her, how had she responded? Had he missed a reciprocal confession? Probably not. Veronica keeps her emotions close to the vest. She's not admitting anything unless she's forced to.

She returns to the bathroom, wearing only a mint green cotton bra and matching underwear. Logan cuts his neck shaving.

He glares. "Really, Veronica?"

"Oh? Does my partial nudity bother you?" She touches a hand to her sternum. "Because I distinctly remember telling you to put some clothes on, just about...every single day."

"You positve about that? Because ever since yesterday morning, you seem more intent on getting me out of my clothes."

She shrugs. "A girl has needs."

Grabbing his styptic pencil from the medicine cabinet, he wets the tip, and presses it to the bleeding nick.

Veronica peers at the damage. "You know, most men just rip off a piece of toilet paper and stick it to the wound."

"Peasants." Logan shakes his head, sadly. After rinsing foam from his razor, he lifts it to his skin.

"You sure you'll be okay with that thing? I'd hate to see you mar that pretty face."

"Not my fault you caught me off guard with your...cleavage...and thighs." He tsks her. "I think I can manage. Besides, as much as I'm down for the sexy, shaving-your-man montage, that would require you allowing me be your man."

"Bummer. I was really looking forward to running a blade over your throat."

"Let's start with non-lethal trust exercises and work our way up."

While Logan finishes shaving, Veronica combs her wet hair straight back, securing it with little pins that match her hair color.

Logan washes, exfoliates, and tones. He applies serum with his fingertips, and moisturizes.

Veronica lathers some Neutrogena junk over her face, rinses, and calls it done. Bending forward, she gets as close as she can to the mirror, carefully inserting dark brown contact lenses. Logan scopes the edge of her bra for nip slips, but it's not meant to be.

Veronica leaves the bathroom, returning with the long blonde wig, and wiggling it onto her head. She tries patting it smooth, and makes a face. "It looks a little..."

"Texas?" He supplies.

"Yeah, I'll have to pick up a flat iron when I go out."

"You want me to grab one of the other wigs for you?"

She shakes her head. "No thanks. I actually need to stick with blonde today."

"Why is that?"

"Just...because." That's it. No explanation. She grabs her hairbrush, dragging it through the voluminous layers until it lays a bit smoother.

_Wow, Veronica. It's so unlike you to be cryptic._

While Logan wrangles his unruly brows with a clear fixative, Veronica applies a black eyeliner pencil, subtly making her eyes appear smaller and closer together. She uses some kind of dark powder, to make her forehead and chin wider.

Finished grooming, Logan follows Veronica back into the stateroom.

_Is that extra oomph in her hips truly necessary? Or is she just torturing me?_

He straightens the bed, while she dresses in a conservative brown knee-length skirt and a pink button-up shirt with short, puffy sleeves and an all-over print of tiny flowers.

"Lookie here. Veronica one-dot-oh makes an appearance."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"You tell me." He glances up from under his lashes. "I liked her and everything, but that girl would never strut around in her underwear for me."

"Only because you never asked." Veronica steps close, wraps her hands around his neck. "That girl was _always_ showing off for you. You were just too blinded by the glow of Lilly Kane to notice." She kisses his cheek, and releases him. "Let's go eat breakfast."

Logan's head reels, and he would love to delve into the implications of that comment, but Veronica's opening the stateroom door, and. _..Oh shit._

 

 

* * *

 

His bewilderment is almost comical. Veronica turns away, and bites her lip to keep from laughing. Was he honestly that blind to her crush on him?

She slides open the bedroom door.

"I see you two fucked and made up."

The smile slips from her face.

Logan's stalker is perched atop the galley counter, one hand buried deep inside a box of Cap'n Crunch. A half-gallon of milk sits at her side.

_Oh, hell no!_

So much for denial. Since waking, she's been preparing for this moment. Telling herself she'd inflated the other girl's beauty. It's only natural, after lying in bed for who-knows-how-long, imagining Logan doing terrible things, like kissing the girl, putting his hands on her. Who wouldn't exaggerate the threat level? Except...she hadn't.

She looks younger without the black makeup. Around her own age, if Veronica had to guess. She's showered, and her long, wet hair hangs from a high, tight ponytail. From her blue eyes to her delicate bone structure, there's a fey-like other-worldliness to her appearance that makes Veronica feel plain and unattractive in comparison.

Logan doesn't seem to notice. With his blank stare and crossed arms, he seems entirely unimpressed.

_If you're hoping to score points with me, it's working._

Veronica sets her back teeth. "Why are you here?"

"And a good morning to you too, roomie." The girl hops down, wipes cereal-crumbs on her hip and holds out her hand. "We didn't get a chance to meet last night. I'm Zadie."

Veronica side-steps her, snatches the cereal box and dumps the entire thing in garbage.

_Is that my shampoo I smell?_

Caffeine first. Engage later.

She sets the empty glass carafe under the faucet, turns on the water, and gathers coffee and paper filters while it fills. Only once she's measured out the grounds and pushed the orange power button, does she turn around. "Logan, make her go away."

"Trust me, I tried my hardest last night. She's tenacious." Arms filled with the remnants of last night's booze-fest. Logan sets three glasses in the sink, half a bag of chips on the counter, and drops an empty vodka bottle into the trash with a clink.

"Your hardest? Really?" Veronica asks, with a tight smile. "Did you try insulting her mother? Slashing her tires? Smashing her headlights?"

"Um...No." He lifts one finger, mouth half-open and rotates toward the girl. "So Zadie, tell me about your mother. And by the way, where are you parked."

"Cute!" Zadie steps to him, pinches his cheek. "But I fight back."

Logan jerks his head out of reach.

From the couch comes a muffled groan. "Is it really necessary for you guys to bicker so early in the morning?" Duncan tosses back his blanket, sits up, and rubs at his eyes.

Logan flicks his hands toward Zadie. "Convince that...riff-raff to go back to the trailer park, and I promise you, all bickering will cease to exist."

Duncan lets out choked laugh. "Right...because you and Veronica never bicker."

"Who, us?" Veronica touches her chest. She moves to Logan's side, clamps her hand on his shoulder, and glares. "We're a united front."

Standing, Duncan bows his back in a deep stretch. "So, I guess you two made up?"

"It helps having a common enemy," Logan says.

"They were curled-up together like two half-naked newborn kittens when I went in there." Zadie nods at their stateroom. "It was kind of adorable."

"Dude. No." Logan shakes his head repeatedly. "She's trying to start shit. Veronica was in her pajamas and I never even changed out of my jeans last night."

Duncan sighs, gathers up his bedding, and wads it up into a bundle. He presses a button, and the couch retracts with the hum of a motor.

There had been lot of bare skin in that bed, but Veronica's more concerned with the other implication of the statement. "What the hell were you doing in our bedroom?"

"Finding something to change into, obviously." Zadie gestures down to her green tee-shirt and black yoga pants.

Veronica's favorite black yoga pants.

A prickle in her temple foretells an oncoming headache. "Did I say you could wear my clothes?"

Zadie either misses the implied threat, or chooses to ignore it. "Oh dear. You thought I was joking last night about sharing clothes?" She turns to Duncan. "Explain this blackmail process to her, because I don't think she quite gets it."

"Do it yourself. I'm going to take a shower." Duncan trudges off to his stateroom, sliding the door closed. A moment later, the water starts up, the bathroom door slams, and locks.

A litany of threats form in Veronica's mind. Against Zadie, her future offspring, and her offspring's offspring. She swallows it down - for now.

Behind her, the coffee pot gurgles, hisses, and begins to drip.

Logan opens the dishwasher drawer, extracts two mugs and sets them on the counter next to the machine. He unloads the remainder of the clean dishes to cabinets and drawers, tentatively, as if playing Jenga.

Veronica sidles-up to him. "Up for some French toast for breakfast?"

"I vote yes," Zadie says. "That's my favorite."

"Excellent!" Veronica turns around, claps her hands together. "That'll make it so much more satisfying when I don't make any for you."

Zadie pokes her lip out in a juvenile pout. "Is she always this pleasant in the morning?"

"She was vastly more pleasant yesterday morning." With his back turned to the room, only Veronica witnesses the dirty little smile flitting across Logan's features.

Her cheeks warm. Yesterday morning was a game changer, but that was merely a prelude to last night's...pleasantness. How could he have forgotten? She'd known he was drunk when he climbed into bed with her, but shouldn't he have sobered up after a couple hours sleep? Assuming that much time had passed.

She needs to fess up. But first she needs to get past her mortification.

One problem at a time. She fixes her gaze on Zadie, sitting on one of the stools at the end of the counter. "What's it going to take to get rid of you?"

The girl pretends to think about it, shrugs. "Me, being ready to leave."

Veronica speaks in her iciest tone. "You don't want me as an enemy."

Zadie flutters her lashes. "Actually, I was hoping we could become besties!"

Veronica sighs, suddenly sympathizing with anyone she'd ever unleashed her 'Amber' persona upon. She turns to the fridge, gathering the cardboard egg container and a stick of butter. "So what do you want from us? Money? We don't even have bank accounts, and we left our credit cards behind."

"Relax. I'm not after your money." Zadie says. "I'd have to be heartless to leave you three bumbling and broke."

Bumbling? The entire country is looking for them, and they've managed to elude everyone. How's that for bumbling?

Veronica gathers a loaf of fresh white bread, a bottle of vanilla, and a jar of cinnamon. She roots around through the cabinets, producing a shallow storage container and a frying pan. "So how can I convince you to go? Name your price."

"You can't," Zadie answers, a note of finality in her tone.

_That's what you think. I've beaten better than you._

Veronica cracks an egg on the edge of the counter. A small portion of shell lands in the bowl, and she tries scooping it out with the tines of a fork.

The coffeemaker completes its cycle with a series of shrill beeps. _Finally!_ She wipes her hands on a dishtowel.

Zadie swoops in, snags one of the two mugs and steals the first cup of coffee.

Veronica's nostrils flare, and her fingernails bite into her palms.

"Big mistake, Dodger." Logan steps between them, somehow managing to snatch the mug from Zadie's greedy hands, and passes it to Veronica. "Never stand between V and her caffeine." He pours a second cup, hands it to Zadie, and retrieves a third mug from the cabinet for himself.

Zadie leans forward, peering into the bowl. "You got shell in the eggs."

_That's it._

Veronica steps back from the counter, hands snapping upwards. "Think you can do better? _You_ make breakfast."

"Maybe I will. Consider it a peace offering of sorts." Zadie pulls the container toward herself.

"Fine," Veronica drops her fork in the sink. "It's all yours." She makes a show of stomping as she heads into her stateroom.

She collects yesterday's To-Do list from the nightstand drawer as footsteps approach from behind. Logan's arms slide around her waist, and he leans in, whispering, "When we look back on this, we'll realize, this was the moment she began slowly poisoning us."

Veronica shoves the list into her pocket and turns around in his arms. "Have I mentioned how attractive you are when you put me first?"

"That explains why pulling your pigtails never worked as a seduction strategy." He seems surprised to see her smiling. "I'm sure it'll get old after a while."

"It's okay, Logan. I'm fine."

"But what about...?" He gestures back towards the galley.

"New plan?" Veronica shrugs. "She doesn't want our money, and she's not impressed by our fame. So why is she here?"

"I don't know. She said something about her place being infested."

"Gross." Veronica drops her voice to a whisper. "That may be true, but it's only half the story. She's here for a reason, and once we've figured out what it is, maybe we can use it as leverage to get her out of here."

"And we're going to find out by allowing her to poison us?"

"By observation, Logan. We learn everything we can about her. If she thinks she's smarter than us, we gain the advantage. She'll lower her guard, and we'll find some way to nail her." She kisses Logan's cheek, and leaves the bedroom.

Back in the living room -- saloon (only pronounced as salon, because that makes sense?) -- Logan turns on the television, setting it to their favorite news channel. Onscreen, the on-the-scene reporter chats with us Cincinnati zookeeper about their new Tiger twins.

Zadie roots through an open utensil drawer. "Don't you guys have an egg separator?"

"How would I know? I've cooked exactly one meal in that kitchen." Veronica takes a seat on the center portion of the couch, setting her mug down on the shelf behind her, and raising the shade to let in more light.

Zadie improvises with a slotted spoon, catching the yolk, while the whites strain into a second bowl. She repeats the process with two more eggs.

The bathroom door opens and Duncan emerges, clean, dressed, and rubbing at his head with a small towel. He casts a curious glance at Zadie.

"She's making us French toast." Veronica sneers. "Peace offering."

"Oh...could you make mine with the sprouted bread? And egg whites only?"

Zadie turns around, mouth hanging slack. "That's offensive."

Logan snickers, and Veronica shoots him a desist-immediately glare. _Traitor_.

Zadie slides the second bowl to the right. "I don't use the whites in French toast. If you want garbage food, get over here and make garbage food."

Obedient as ever, Duncan moves to the counter, and peers into the container. "What do I do with it?"

She splashes vanilla and cinnamon in Duncan's bowl. "Stir it like I am." She demonstrates, slashing her fork through the yolks. "So which one of you is going to drive me to pack up my clothes."

Logan drops onto the couch next to Veronica, lifting one socked foot to the cushion. "Get your own damn clothes."

"Oh no. I'm not giving you guys an opportunity to pick up and sail away without me. One of you will have to go with me."

"Not a chance," Veronica says.

"Not if you were wearing shredded rags," Logan adds.

"Guess that leaves you, Blue Eyes," Zadie says. She pulls a colander and a third container from a cabinet.

Duncan glances up from his stirring, alarmed. "I have to be at work in an hour."

"After work, then." Zadie pours the whipped yolks through the strainer, gives it a quick rinse, and strains back into the first bowl. She adds vanilla and cinnamon, a splash of milk, and turns to Duncan. "Have any Grand Marnier?"

Duncan crouches and searches through the liquor cabinet, finally producing a dusty bottle.

"Just show the boozehound where we keep the stash, why don't you?" Logan grumbles.

"Please. I figured that out already." She measures the liqueur into the egg mixture, and resumes stirring, her fork tinkling against glass.

Veronica pulls the notepad from her pocket, giving it a once-over. It's time to start thinking about getting a job, but she needs to handle something of a more personal nature today.

Logan leans in, peering at the page. "So what's left for us to do?"

"Well, while you were off carousing and picking up loose women last night, I managed to get the Wi-Fi turned on, tracked Liam's Barracuda to Illinois, and taught Duncan how to budget. I also called my dad, who really insists on speaking to you."

"He just wants to remind me about Rule number one."

She tilts her head in question.

"Keep my hands off his daughter."

"Well, you're certainly having no problem sticking to _that_ agreement." She shoots him a pointed look.

"If only Papa Mars knew that it was my virtue that was in jeopardy." Logan smirks. "Should I tell him his little girl can keep her hands off me?"

"Sure. If you want to be murdered in your sleep." Veronica smiles sweetly.

Logan chuckles. "So what's the plan for today?"

Veronica breaks eye-contact. "I have to run some errands on the mainland, so I'll need the truck."

"I'll go with you."

"You can't. Duncan's working, and we can't leave her alone on the boat. So that leaves you for babysitting duty." Not to mention, she can't have any company for what she plans to do.

Logan scowls in Zadie's direction. "I haven't read my Babysitters Club books in years. Refresh my memory. Is it okay to motor out to the middle of the ocean and drop her overboard?"

"Sounds like competent childcare to me." Veronica shrugs.

He leans closer, examining the notepad. "Since I'm stuck here, anything else I should handle?"

"Well, Duncan's volunteered to be Boat Treasurer, but you seem vaguely qualified for this one." Veronica double taps her index finger on the word 'Romance'.

"Vaguely qualified, huh?" Logan's lips stretch in a challenging grin. "I would argue that I'm imminently qualified."

"Oh yeah? I'm going to need some kind of demonstration of those qualifications before I can entrust you with such an important job."

"Oh my God. Do you two seriously believe anyone is buying your _'we're not fucking'_ act?" Zadie laughs at them over her shoulder.

_Did she really just...?_

"I certainly hope not." Jaw clenched, Veronica raises her fist, flashing Lynn's diamond. "Since we're actually trying to convince people that we are."

"But we're not. Fucking." Logan hurries to add.

Veronica frowns at him. _Well, aren't you eager to look single?_

"Why not?" Zadie slides a large glass baking dish into the convection oven, sets a timer, and leans back against the counter, looking genuinely curious. "I don't get it. I mean I don't need to be Dr. Ruth to recognize foreplay when I see it."

Duncan cringes. "Just...drop it."

She turns to him. "You're not seeing this?"

"No. I don't know." Duncan sighs. "What I do know, is that if you keep this up, Veronica 's gonna decide this is Logan's fault for being too _Logan_ , and he's going to remember why they were fighting in the first place. She'll yell 'jackass', and he'll yell 'bitch', and one of them -- probably both of them -- will storm off. And then later, they'll be best friends again, and I'll be the asshole stirring up trouble when I question it."

"Wow. That's just uncalled-for," Logan says.

Veronica twists her mouth. "Yeah. Tell us how you really feel, _Donut_."

He rolls his eyes. "Oh. We're accelerating straight to the 'blame Duncan' portion of the program."

Zadie blows off his concerns. "So, no sex? Pretty girl. Two hot guys. Motels and bed-sharing, and..." She glances at Logan and makes air quotes. " _'Selling the romance'_? And the lines never blur?"

Veronica's cheeks warm, but Logan -- with his acting genes -- stares straight at Zadie, mouth quirked in an amused smirk. As if she's the crazy one.

"Not even a single 'it-doesn't-count-as-gay-as-long-as-the-girl-is-in-the-middle-and-we-never-speak-of-it-again' sort of night?"

Veronica can't stop herself from imagining the logistics of something like that. Would it be a 'taking turns' thing, or...?

Zadie chuckles. " I don't know whether to admire your resistance, or pity your lack of creativity. If it were me stuck in a motel room with these two, I'd have them talked into it by the second night. Third at the latest."

Over my dead body.

"Dude, she's my sister!" Duncan's voice holds a note of hysteria.

"Oh." Zadie's eyes go wide, and her mouth forms an O-shape. "Plot twist."

"I only found out two days ago," Veronica says, "But good to know our personal tragedy is entertainment for you."

"Tragedy? Let me guess. You tried to fight it, but when your evil grandmother locked you in the attic, and your mama started poisoning you with powdered sugar donuts to secure her inheritance, you gave in to your forbidden passion? Because that's tragic."

"We have different mothers," Duncan says, and Veronica doesn't bother to explain.

She turns to a fresh page in her notepad, starts a new list for today.

In her periphery, Duncan retrieves his laptop and takes a seat on the left-side end of the U-shaped couch.

Logan stands, pushes the button to lift the motorized table from the floor. He crosses to the galley, opens the dishwasher, and begins loading each dish after Zadie rinses it.

It's such a tiny, inconsequential thing to be jealous over, but bile rises in Veronica's throat, and her fingers tighten on the memo pad.

Drying her hands on a towel, Zadie sits on the end table to Duncan's left, peering over his shoulder at his computer screen. Logan gathers breakfast supplies and returns to the table.

"Can we maybe skip the disposables?" Duncan asks. "The landfills are--"

"No." Logan slaps a paper plate, a napkin and a fork down in front of him. "I didn't know what you wanted to drink. Oatmeal juice or whatever that stuff is?"

While Logan sets out three more place settings, Duncan gets up, heads to the refrigerator, and leans in, moving things around to locate his beverage.

Zadie steals his spot on the couch, picks up his laptop, and begins reading aloud in an exaggerated Southern drawl.

"In preparation for the 58th Annual Blushing Belles of Bluebell Debutante Ball, we gathered Sunday at the Percy estate for the traditional Mother-Daughter Tea. The Percys outdid themselves this year, with their lovely peaches-and-cream decor and mini-croissant sandwiches. Alas, not everyone in attendance embodied the gentility and grace of a Bluebell Belle. I'm not naming any names, but, two of this year's crop of debutantes were hung-over when they arrived, while a third, bless her heart, still smelled of cheap whiskey and the cheaper cologne of a certain Rammer Jammer bartender. Good heavens, my mama would have clutched her pearls if I'd embarrassed her that way. It wasn't until Miss Esther May Tisdale -- in attendance for her customary etiquette lessons -- threatened to cancel the ball, that the debs started comporting themselves with the dignity befitting their station."

Veronica pulls her lips inside her mouth. _Not gonna laugh. Not gonna laugh. Cannot laugh_.

She makes the mistake of meeting Logan's eyes as he drags two chairs to the table, and a derisive snort escapes.

Duncan rushes over, snatches the machine from her, and slams the lid. "Who said you could read that?"

"Who's AnnaBeth?"

"Nobody."

"It said 'AnnaBeth's Bluebell Blog', so she must be somebody." Zadie smiles up at him. "I'm just curious what planet she lives on, because that didn't sound much like Earth to me."

Duncan looks as if he wants to argue, but the timer dings, and Zadie's attention returns to breakfast.

* * *

 

 

"Well?" Zadie asks, as Veronica finishes the last bite of breakfast. "Was it good, or was a _goooood?_ "

"It wasn't the worst I've ever tasted." Veronica admits. More like heaven on a plate. "But I still don't want you around."

Zadie grins, overly pleased with herself. "That's only because you haven't tried my Stroganoff."

"Well, I'd better get to work." Duncan collects the empty plates, tossing them in the trash. "I'll see you guys later."

"For my part, I have a long day ahead, of accomplishing absolutely nothing." Logan kicks back on the recliner, picks up the remote, and starts flipping channels. "I can finally catch up on my shows. Although, I have to say, if crazy Jan Spears is still holding Shawn Douglas Brady in that cage to keep him away from his true love, Belle, I'm done."

Veronica shakes her head, refills her coffee and returns to their stateroom.

She takes a moment to check her laptop, smiling to find a new email on her secret account. It's Tuesday now, and she hasn't talked to Wallace since last Friday. So much has happened in the interim. 

 

From: PapaBear04@yahoo.com

Subject: Checking in

To: vm911@gmail.com

Supafly,

I haven't heard from you all weekend. Is everything okay? Is PJ behaving himself?

I caught footage of your Great Mall Escape on the news. Incidentally, so did The Gumshoe. You and PJ looked pretty cozy together, and I had to bend over backwards to convince my employer that LoVe was merely a ploy. That's what they're calling you and PJ now, by the way. It's nauseating.

I hear things, answering phones for the Gumshoe. He's pretty frustrated in his inability to help you, and he's channeling that frustration into the investigation of the Fallen Princess's death. He got The Patsy released from prison, which I'm sure you've heard by now.

Rosco P Coltrane - I could to better, that idiot is not even worthy of my creativity - has opened an investigation into the Royal Family. The Gumshoe is convinced they obstructed justice in order to cover for The Prince, and that your association with him, puts you in mortal danger.

Crazy happenings this weekend in the case of Snow White. I took your advice, and tailed The Understudy. You'll never believe where I found her. Maybe the 'with whom' is more interesting.

She was steaming up the windows at Lookout Point with Froggy the tech adviser. The Very Adult tech adviser. The guy with all the email passwords.

A few snapped photos, and The Understudy confessed. She was jealous, and tired of playing second-fiddle to Snow White.

Grumpy tried crawling back with his tail between his legs, but Snow White is too smart to fall for that. She just might be more interested in my apples now. Homecoming is coming up, and Papa Bear is in need of a Princess.

After what you admitted to me last week, I know that mall scene between you and PJ was more than just stage magic. I'm a try to give him the benefit of the doubt, but if he hurts you, I'm going to track him down.

Hope to hear back from you soon,

Papa Bear.

 

Neptune, California. As crazy as always. Man, she misses Wallace.  

Her dad already gave her an earful about the mall shenanigans. If he knew about Zadie, he'd probably come looking for them.  No, she should probably keep that information to herself.  Why burden Wallace with more secrets, when Zadie will gone within the week anyway?   

 

 

From: vm911@aol.com

Subject: Re: Checking in

To: PapaBear04@yahoo.com

Papa Bear,

Much apologies for the radio silence. The morning after my last email, our car broke down overnight in a small town. Unfortunately, our lodging didn't have WiFi, so I never had a chance to get online.

You ever hear of a phenomenon called Heat Wave Fever? We witnessed it firsthand. Bar brawls, and pet alligators, and town drunks on roofs. I know it sounds awful, but I can't remember the last time I had so much fun.

We've made it to our final destination. At least for now. PJ thinks we can get three months of safety before anyone tries to use the place. Long enough to find jobs and a more permanent living situation.

The Prince already has a job. As for me, I have a plan, and I'm putting it into motion today.

Sounds like you did some pretty competent detective work for Snow White. She's a wonderful person, and I sincerely hope your Homecoming plans come true. But can we not mix fairytales, please?  There's a certain squick factor to the words " _Papa Bear is in need of a Princess._ " 

It means the world to me to know you're keeping an eye on The Gumshoe. It's probably for the best that he doesn't know we're communicating, but don't let him work too hard. Make sure he eats, and gets at least a little bit of sleep.

Roscoe P. Coltrane, huh? I always thought his name was Roscoe Pekoe Train. You learn something new everyday. I can tell you, without a doubt, that old RPC is a bad guy, and is passing information on to our pursuer. Some of Roscoe's deputies are still loyal to the Gumshoe.  Keep an ear out and let me know if you learn anything new about the investigation.

As for PJ, things are indeed cozy. Aside from squabble here and there, we grow closer every day, and he's constantly challenging my perceptions about him. Things are complicated between us, but looking up.

Always thrilled to hear from you, and don't hold back on the Neptune gossip. Stay in touch.

Supafly.

 

Before leaving the yacht, Veronica grabs a large zipper tote bag from a cubby, stuffing it with enough items to create an alternative 'look' for the day.

 

* * *

The _schliiiick_ of a sliding door nudges at Logan's consciousness. _Shit!_ Did he fall asleep watching TV?

Footsteps thump up the stairs, and he jumps from the couch, catching only a glimpse of a woman before she moves through the deck hatch and out of sight.

Veronica would've woken him if she'd returned, and anyway, the figure had been skinnier than her. Light brown hair floated in waves around the shoulders, rather than black. Which can only mean one thing. While Logan dozed, Dodger discovered the disguise trunk, and decided to play dress-up.

Veronica is going to kill him. Wasn't the entire point of him staying behind to keep an eye on Zadie?

The footsteps move across the deck and down to the dock.

_She's leaving._

Veronica's phone goes straight to voicemail. What was she up to today, that she had to be so cagey about? He doesn't leave a message, he knows damn well what she would want him to do.

Logan dashes into his stateroom. Exchanges his cargoes and tee shirt for preppy chino shorts and a polo. He slips on his wraparound shades, a straw panama hat he'd purchased to prevent his nose from burning after surfing, and finishes up with his fake mustache.

Zadie has a good lead, but she's still visible when Logan makes it out to the dock. He power-walks to close the distance, but she passes the marina office and disappears from sight.

Ahead of him, a golf cart pulls from one of the side docks onto the main pier.

"Duncan!" Logan jogs over to him. "Dude, I need your cart!"

Duncan stares at him placidly. "You're cart-jacking me?"

Logan jumps into the passenger seat and points. "Catch up with Zadie. She can't be too far past the office."

Duncan presses the gas. "Why are you following her?"

"Veronica wants us to get dirt on her. Anyway, I owe her for following me last night" He scowls. "Are you even trying? These things go faster than this. V had ours zipping around the island yesterday."

Duncan rolls his eyes. "One, we're on a pier, and you know...safety? Two, do I look like Veronica?"

Logan makes a show of examining him. "Maybe there's a little family resemblance. Eye color? Tiny heads? What am I supposed to be comparing?"

"You're a dick."

"So I hear. Daily."

"There she is." Duncan points to a spot in the distance where a golf cart pulls out onto the main thoroughfare. "Looks like she rented her own cart."

"Damn. Keep following her."

"Can't. I'm on the clock."

Shit! "Okay. Just get out at the office then, and I'll go without you."

Duncan laughs derisively. "You're not taking my cart."

"Just go rent another one!"

" _You_ rent one. This one is marina property. Did you even notice the toolbox in back? The supplies?"

_Congratulations, worker bee. I get it, you're a productive member of society and I'm...a babysitter.  An incompetent one at that._

"I don't have time for that." Logan flings his hand out to the empty road. "I'm losing her."

Duncan sighs. "If you insist on this cloak and dagger stuff, there's a bicycle you can borrow at the office. Do you remember how to ride one?"

"No, but from what I hear, it's just like getting back in the saddle." He pictures himself astride something black and sleek, with wide tires for hitting the trails.

The reality is something different entirely.

"Dude, this is older than my dad! Did Beaver Cleaver refuse to hand over his lunch money or something?"

The Western Flyer has been lovingly maintained since Norman Rockwell's days, but it's aquamarine, for Christ's sake! He points, wrinkling his nose. "It has a basket!"

"Take it or leave it, man." Duncan climbs back into the golf cart and speeds away. Yes, speeds. Without a goodbye or anything.

Logan catches up with Zadie ten minutes (and one harrowing brush with death) later. She pulls into the shopping district surrounding the inland marina and parks. In the golf cart's mirror, she applies lipstick, a pair of the same giant sunglasses his mom wears when she doesn't want to be recognized by fans, and ties the wig back into a loose, messy, knot.

Logan finds a bicycle rack, pushes down the kickstand and, when Zadie exits the cart, follows from a distance.

She moves in her usual aggressive, ground-eating strides, but as she rounds the corner into the plaza, she transforms before his eyes. Her center of gravity shifts to her heels, her pace slows, and her hips develop a swish. It's like watching Sabrina "Type A" Fuller morph into Carrie "The-Queen-Hurries-for-No-Man" Bishop.

Zadie passes a jewelry store and a luggage store, then stops in front of Wink Boutique and opens the door.

Logan gives it a count of thirty, smooths down his mustache, and follows her inside.

The boutique's interior is larger than it appears from the outside, with high ceilings and a second-floor loft area. The décor combines luxury with playfulness, and a silver and white color scheme ties everything together, from the signage to the displays to the upholstered couches and ottomans throughout. The scent of apples and cinnamon envelopes him and makes his nose itch.

It's the kind of place his mother would shop at, despite marketing to a younger demographic.

Zadie is perusing the denim section, and Logan scans the space for a men's department, or anywhere else he could lurk without sticking out like a sore thumb.

"You look seriously uncomfortable." A husky voice speaks from his side.

The woman appears to be in her forties, tall, with dark chestnut hair, a hawk nose, and - he can't believe he's even thinking this - amazing eyebrows.

Logan gives her a bashful smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only if you've been doing this as long as I have." The woman holds out her hand. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. I'm Gina. The owner."

"Nolan." He shakes." Nice place, here."

"It pays the bills." She tilts a head. "So, what brings you in today, Nolan?"

The reason is across the room, standing in front of a full-length mirror, and holding a pair of jeans up to her waist.

"Umm...I guess I'm just looking for something for my wife."

"Well, I'm sure she'll love you for that." Gina's eyes flick to his empty ring finger.

"No, it's not like that." Logan expels an amused breath and holds up his hand. "I wore my ring for one day and my finger swelled. It's getting resized now, while we're on our honeymoon."

"No explanation necessary." She makes a waving gesture. "So, you're a newlywed. Congratulations. What's the lucky girl's name?"

"Vickie." Like an actor playing a role, he forms a picture in his mind. Yesterday morning - Veronica on the edge of the bed with her legs wrapped around his waist. Veronica, looking at him with those eyes, daring him to make a move. "Her name is Vickie."

It must do the trick, because Gina's smile turns soft and indulgent. "Well, I'll be thrilled to help you find something for your new bride. Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee?"

"That sounds great."

She motions for him to follow. "Tell me more about Vickie. Do you know what size she wears?"

Logan trails her up a wide, silver staircase. "Umm...small? Extra-small? Tiny? I don't know. She's barely five feet, and probably weighs a hundred, soaking-wet."

"Tiny. I can work with that."

The second story loft is devoted to handbags and shoes - paired off in cubbies, arranged on shelves, hanging on pegs.

She leads him to a counter in the back corner, where she places a mug in a fancy brewer, inserts a coffee pod, and presses a button.

"So, what did you have in mind for Vickie? Casual? Formal? Something for a night out? A night in? "

"Casual, I think." Logan gives a helpless shrug. "Something she can relax in. She's had a rough month, with all the wedding stress."

"She's lucky to have such a considerate husband. Are there any colors she prefers to wear?"

"That's what I keep saying. She wears a lot of black, army green, brown, red. Oh, and she's started wearing pink lately."

The brewer finishes dripping, and Gina hands Logan the mug. "Cream and sugar are right here." She points unnecessarily at a tiered organizer. "Go ahead and fix your coffee, and then come back downstairs. You can have a seat on one our loungers, and I'll start rounding up some fashions for you."

"Actually..." Logan points to a conversation area set up next to the railing. "I hate to ask, but would you mind bringing my selections up here? Cinnamon candles always play havoc with my sinuses, and the scent is less...potent up here."

"I'd be happy to." Gina's voice lowers to a conspiratorial whisper. "I keep dropping hints to my assistant manager that she's overdoing it with the scented oil, but she doesn't seem to catch on. Okay, I'll be back momentarily."

Coffee in hand, Logan takes a seat on a button-tufted love seat in a luxe silver fabric. The balcony railing provides perfect cover from below, while giving him a view of the entire store.

Zadie flits from rack to rack, draping occasional items over her left forearm.

Why is she even here? She'd refused to go pick up her own stuff, because she thought they'd sail away and leave her behind. Yet her first opportunity to steal some alone-time, she comes to a boutique? Did she find their cash?  Did she clean them out?

Gina returns with an armful of clothing, draping them on the railing and blocking his view as she explains how the pieces can be mixed and matched.

Logan picks up each item, setting them on the cocktail table. "Too serious...too silly - she would never wear a logo on her butt...too Boho...too skimpy."

A handful of the items are lingerie - not quite La Perla, but still quality stuff. Veronica would look incredible in any of these numbers - legs cut high, skin gleaming through strategic cutouts, straps where no straps are needed.

_Fuck. What are you doing, idiot?_

He concentrates on an image of Liam Fitzpatrick's ugly mug, until the tingling in his nether-regions stops.

"These are...awesome, but Vickie doesn't really do the whole sexpot thing"  Not to mention, Veronica would murder him if he brought any of these back for her.

"Sure thing." She gathers up the selections and leaves.

Logan sips his coffee, while Zadie surrenders an armful of clothing to a sales person, who carries them to the fitting room, and emerges empty-handed.

She continues browsing, holding some items up to the light, slipping others into her handbag.

He could turn her in for shoplifting - that would certainly get her out of their hair - but he has a feeling she'd drag them down with her.

Gina's second haul, is more promising. Logan dismisses several pieces, but reaches for some gray yoga pants. "Cashmere?"

"Aren't they wonderful? Here's a matching hoodie." She places it on the table.

"I'll take these." Below, Zadie disappears into the changing room , and, since she'll probably be in there a while, he adds, "She'll need some kind of top to wear underneath."

"Great. I'll find something. How are these for sleepwear?" Gina lays out a selection of tiny nightgowns. They're less likely to cause him bodily harm from Veronica, but they're still a bit too sex kitten, with their matching G-strings and fabrics so sheer they couldn't possibly conceal anything.

"Hmm...they're definitely nice, but..."

"Your wife has the rest of her life to sleep in over-sized tee shirts. It's your honeymoon. Buy her something beautiful."

"Okay, you're right, but Vickie's not really a nightgown person. She sleeps in those tiny shorts and the tops with the skinny straps." He pinches his thumb and forefinger together to demonstrate width.

"Got it." She walks away, and from her expression, she already has something in mind.

Logan resumes scouting the dressing room doorway, but Zadie hasn't yet returned. 

He rejects Gina's three selections for wearing under the hoodie. "Too pistachio-pudding green...too Ed Hardy-esque...too short."   _Would that even cover her breasts?_

She drapes a selection of pajama-sets on the table, shorts and tops, each in silky-slidey fabrics. Hot pink with cream lace, champagne with black lace, red with black lace, black with black lace, entirely lace. _Fuck._

The styles seem about right, still he's not sure what kind of message he'd be sending by bringing home sexy pajamas.

When Gina lays down the final pair of shorts, he picks them up. They're feminine, but in that sassy, Veronica sort of way. Clusters of light pink five-petal flowers made out of some shiny ribbony stuff attached to a black background.

They remind him a little of the flowers he picked for Veronica that morning Duncan woke from his stupor. Mere hours before they kissed for the first time. _Only time, if you're not counting closed-mouth kisses._

"Aren't those stunning?" Gina asks. "They're 100-percent silk charmeuse."

"Yeah. I think she would love these. Is there a top?"

"Not with the ribbon embroidery. There's a robe. But this camisole is from the same product line." She takes the top from the black-on-black set, and places it next to the shorts.

Downstairs, Zadie emerges from the changing room, and heads toward the cash register.

Logan stands up. "Great. I'll take them. And the cashmere set, too."

Gina looks surprised at his abruptness. "Should I keep looking for a tee-shirt?"

"That won't be necessary. I'm sure Vickie has something back on the boat."

"Okay. Well then, I'll go wrap these up for you."

The checkout area is hidden from view under the loft, but the stairs curve in a way that allows eavesdropping. Logan creeps down slowly, thumbing at his cell as if sending a text message.

"Put it on my account," Zadie is saying. She hands over an Island Pass.

Veronica took the guest pass with her to the mainland, and - Logan pats his pockets - he still has the main pass. So where did Zadie get her hands on one?

The cashier looks contrite. "Oh! Ms. Quartermaine. I didn't recognize you in your sunglasses!"

Zadie, lowers them enough to peer over the top, grunts 'Hangover' and pushes them back on her nose.

"Oh. Sure. I understand." The girl laughs nervously, swipes the card through a magnetic reader and hands it back, along with a bag. "Have a wonderful day, and thank you for shopping at Wink."

Zadie heads for the exit.

Logan hesitates. Should he just leave and follow her? What if he needs to shop here again?

Gina waves him over to a register, and there goes that idea.

"I pulled this for you, in case you're interested." She holds up a short, black silk robe with a pink tie, and the same ribbon flowers as the shorts."

A bell dings, and Logan glances over his shoulder as Zadie leaves the store. "Yeah. Sure. I'll take it."

"Vickie will be so thrilled." Gina folds the robe, places the pajamas on it, and wraps them up in a tissue paper package. "That'll be...Six hundred forty-two and sixteen cents."

 _Well shit._ Veronica's not going to be too happy about this. He has no credit cards, and he's not carrying enough cash.

 _Well, it worked for Zadie._ He pulls out his Island Pass, hands it to her, and prepares himself for humiliation.

Gina glances at the card, gives him a we-offer-the-utmost-discretion smile, and swipes it through the reader. No alarms go off, no bars come down over the doors and windows. Nothing happens. She hands him his bag. "You have a wonderful day, and be sure to bring that wife of yours by before you head back home."

"Sure thing."

Out in the plaza, three forty-ish women, compare perfume purchases. A middle-aged couple strolls by, hand-in-hand, eating ice cream. Two CEO-types in golf clothes, sit on a bench, stuffing their faces with sub-sandwiches. An angry model in her thirties trails a much-older, and ridiculously toupeed man, suspiciously resembling Donald Trump. He reaches back for her hand, but she slaps it away.

 _Tool_.

No sign of Zadie, anywhere.

Logan sits on  a wood-slat bench, and tries Veronica's number again. Straight to voicemail. What could he say anyway? _I was tailing Zadie, but lost her when I chose jammie-shopping over the job? And by the way, what was our clothing budget again?_

Speaking of...he takes a moment to remove the tags from his purchases, doing his best to refold the tissue correctly.

Across the plaza, an elderly woman exits a coffee house, and there, behind her, is Zadie. Veronica's wig is gone - probably tucked in that over-sized handbag - and her black hair hangs loose to her elbows. She's changed into her newly-purchased low-rise jeans, a halter top (designed to look as if it had been cut from a vintage biker tee) and short, pointy-toed boots with silver heels. The picture of a rich girl pretending to 'slum it'.

 _(Maybe)_ Trump hurries forward to hold the door, using the opportunity to lecherously ogle her. He says something to her, and she responds with a contemptuous sneer, leaning around him to speak to his female companion before walking away.

Logan grins and follows, thankful he hadn't left a message on Veronica's voicemail.

Outside a café named Mortar and Pestle, a man steps away from the wall, embraces Zadie and kisses her cheek. "You made it."

"I did." She smiles, but without a lot of sincerity. "How's she doing today?"

"The usual." The man shrugs and swivels his wrist in an 'iffy' gesture. He seems to be in his early twenties, and reeks of East Coast money - from his white shorts and polo combo, to the expensively-textured haircut falling casually on his forehead. He looks familiar, somehow.

They converse in quiet tones. The man is a toucher, and quite enamored of Zadie, but she skillfully evades his roving hands without ever outright rejecting him.

_Is that what Veronica and I look like to outside observers?_

Zadie's phone chimes, and she checks the screen. "That's her. She's already inside."

"I told her to meet us at the entrance." The man sighs, and, with a hand pressed to her lower back, leads Zadie into the restaurant.

Logan waits a few beats, and enters the establishment.

"Hello!" A perky hostess calls out, startling him. "Will anyone be joining you today, sir?"

"No, I'm alone." Logan scans the room, finally spotting Zadie and her companion through a large picture window, as a waiter leads them to a table on the patio. He turns back, smiling. "But can I be seated outside? My wife always says I don't get enough fresh air."

"Certainly. Follow me."

The patio is small, red brick in a herringbone pattern, with a low stone wall for privacy. There's an intimate feel to the space that makes him wish Veronica were here with him.

_Would it be weird to ask her out on a date?_

A date where they can't kiss goodnight, yet still undress and climb into bed together?  He snorts. _Yeah, that would be weird._

Zadie sits beside her male friend, facing away from the door. Opposite her, a woman speaks with animated gestures.

College-aged - give or take a few years - she wears denim micro-shorts, a strappy white top in some floaty fabric, and short black boots. Or... Logan squints. Black sandals and an ankle monitor?

_What kind of company are you keeping, Dodger?_

The hostess seats him at the two-seater right behind the trio. He orders a Coke, and then eavesdrops from behind his menu, while the unknown girl describes her wild evening, the people she partied with, and why she couldn't possibly have left in time to meet Zadie at the Beach Club.

_Don't feel too bad. She found other entertainment slash people-to-torture._

The girl is pretty, in a nineties heroin-chic sort of way, with a heart-shaped face, sharp nose, small mouth and long teeth. She shares the same golden-brown hair and blue eyes as the man. Also like him, she seems familiar.

A cell rings, and the man checks the display. "I have to take this. Be right back." He stands and heads into the restaurant, giving Logan an enigmatic smile as he passes.

Once he's out of sight, the girl leans forward, and reaches across the table. She clutches Zadie's forearm like one does when they're telling a secret, but her fingers caress, as if to seduce. Lowering her voice, she describes - in explicit detail - the man she brought home last night, the drugs they consumed, and sex that followed.

Somehow, it's like listening to Lilly speak, yet not at all. Lilly did bad with a wild sort of joie de vivre, like she was squeezing every drop of pleasure from it. With this girl, it feels more performative, as if the intent is to titillate or incite jealousy in Zadie.

If that's the case, it doesn't seem to be working. Even from his limited view of Zadie's profile, his overall impression is one of pity.

Logan lifts his menu higher as the guy rejoins his party.

"Sorry 'bout that. Father, trying to get me to take that internship again."

"What did you say?" the girl asks.

He sighs. "I told him that it could wait. As long as you're stuck here, I'm not going to leave you alone. How much longer is your house-arrest, anyway?"

She shrugs. "Three or four months? I think?"

"He can wait that long."

A waiter sets a soda in front of Logan. "Have you decided what you're having?"

"Um...yeah. Sure. I'll have the chargrilled chicken salad, minus the tomato wedges and black olives. That's all."

"Great choice. I'll bring that right out to you." The waiter holds out his hand, and Logan reluctantly surrenders his menu/shield.

When he looks back at Zadie's table, it's to find the brunette staring at him. She smiles, flirtatious, and twirls a strand of hair around her finger.

"Harper, you slut. Who are you hitting on now?" the guy asks. He and Zadie both turn their heads.

 _Busted_.

Zadie breaks into a delighted grin. "Nolan? Why are you hiding over there? Come sit with us."

"Um...? That's okay, you look like you're doing fine."

"Nonsense. You can sit here." The girl - _Harper?_ \- moves her Louis Vuitton bag to the back of her seat, smiles, and pats the chair next to her.

Oh hell. Eavesdropping unobserved is a lot more fun, but Veronica wouldn't hesitate to take this opportunity to learn more about their blackmailer. He stands, picks up his glass, and accepts the offered chair.

Zadie eyes his mustache with barely-contained amusement.

_What? I look awesome._

She gestures to his face. "That's quite the noon-o-clock shadow you've got going on there, Pal."

"Huh?"

"The mustache. Weren't you clean-faced this morning?"

"Testosterone." Logan shrugs and lifts helpless hands. "What can you do?"

"Right..."

"Personally, I've always found mustaches sexy," Harper says. "Of course, I'm batshit, so it's probably some kind of Oedipal Complex or something."

Opposite them, the man dry heaves and gives an exaggerated shudder.

Harper continues, the barest hint of jealousy in her tone. "So how do you two know each other?"

"Only since birth." Zadie grins and reaches across the table, covering Logan's hand with her own. "This is my cousin, Nolan, and he's staying with me on Daddy's yacht. I guess we double-booked, somehow."

_Daddy's yacht? So that's your game?_

Zadie narrows her eyes, daring him to contradict her. "Nolan, meet Harper and Harley Quartermaine."

Okay, that makes sense. If he remembers correctly, the Q-Twins share a great-grandfather with the equally immoral, yet slightly more circumspect branch of the Quartermaine family. They're regular fixtures of the gossip columns - infamous for wild partying and out-of-control drinking - but Logan doesn't really pay attention to that stuff.

Zadie's eyes are an icier shade of blue than Harper's, and she has the healthy, yet ultra-thin frame of a dancer, while Harper appears almost undernourished. Otherwise, they're relatively the same size and shape. With her hair tucked up under Veronica's wig, and wearing the oversized sunglasses, it's not a stretch that Zadie's impersonation was successful.

"I know you." Harper examines his face. Up close, her dark circles are prominent. "Two years ago, in Aspen, at Nicky Hilton's winter party."

"Possibly?" He lifts one corner of his mouth. "They all sort of run together."

"Yeah, my brother spent like an hour trying to seduce this blonde." She cups the air in front of her chest, indicating voluminous breasts, and her brother reaches across and tugs her hands out another inch. "You swooped in, and stole her right out from under him."

"She was probably too young, anyway." Harley sips at his drink. Vodka and cranberry, from the look and smell of it. "And to be fair, I'm pretty sure she was his girlfriend." He hooks a thumb at Logan, eyeing him with that same stupid smile from before. "What was her name, again? Lilly?"

_Does he know? Or does he just like fucking with people?_

"Maybe? Lilly is a common name. I've dated a one or two." Logan shrugs.

Harley glances at Zadie, and there's something in his expression, as if two and two aren't adding up to four. "So how are you two related again? You said cousins?"

 _He knows._ Not just that Logan moves in the same circles like Harper, but his actual identity.  And there's nothing Aaron Echolls loves more than bragging about his blue-collar roots. His can-do American spirit, and all that B.S.

Logan answers before Zadie can get a word out. "We're actually second-cousins. My mom and her dad are first cousins. Grew up together on Connecticut's Gold Coast."

_Go ahead smart guy, Google Lynn Lester._

He's not overly concerned about Harley reporting them to the authorities. Like he'd told Veronica, nobody on this island wants media attention drawn to their secret playground.

It does occur to him to wonder why he'd provided the save for Zadie. He should've just allowed her to fuck up. The sooner she bungles whatever grift she's running on these twins, the sooner they'll be rid of her. She wouldn't exact revenge for her own failure. Would she?  Just in case, he'll just keep this little tidbit from Veronica.

The waiter arrives, placing entrees before the other three, and promising to return momentarily with Logan's.

"So how do you guys know my cousin?" he asks, once the others have tasted their food.

"We met at the Revolution Room a month or two ago. Zany pretty much save my life that night," Harper turns adoring eyes on Zadie. "She noticed some asshole slipping a roofie into my drink, and kicked his ass right out of the bar. Literally. Her foot to his ass. We've been like besties ever since."

Ten to one, the entire scene was staged, but Logan merely lifts an eyebrow. "Zany?"

Harper giggles. "She hates when I call her that, but I think it's cute."

"That's our Zadie. All kinds of adorable."

"It must run in the family." Harper looks up from under her lashes, bites her lip, and tries to do the sexy calf-rub move on him, but her electronic monitor clunks against his ankle bone, sending a sharp, reverberating pain up his leg.

"Owwww." Logan sucks air through his teeth and grasps his foot.

"Sorry about that." She giggles and strokes his arm. "I'm so clumsy with that thing."

Zadie laughs. "Give it up, Harper. He's engaged."

"He's married," Logan amends, still rubbing at his aching bone.

The correction may be pointless. He is, _verifiably_ , too young to get married. But he has to at _pretend_ he doesn't know that Harley knows his identity. And since they're bound to run into the twins again on an island this small, it's best to stick with a single story.

Harper pouts and Zadie lifts a brow. "Married? When did that happen?"

"'Bout a week ago."

"And I wasn't invited to the wedding?" She pretends to be insulted.

"It was a very intimate event." He gives her a pointed stare. "Just close friends and family, and honestly, we're just not that close."

"We used to be. Before..." she trails off with a sigh.

"Before what?" Harley asks.

"Our parents caught us practicing our kissing skills when we were...what? Eleven? Twelve?" Zadie exhales, saddened. "After that, we never spent Christmases together again."

Logan has to fight his lips to keep them from smirking.

Harper eyes her, one nostril lifted. "But...you're cousins?"

"Yeah? So?" Zadie plays innocent, points back-and-forth between the twins. "Don't tell me you two have never kissed."

"No!" Harper shrieks, plucks a strawberry from her salad, and tosses it at Zadie. "Although I did catch him making-out with one of my boyfriends, once."

"Please...like you didn't steal two of my girlfriends." Harley lifts his eyes to the sky. "That I'm aware of."

Logan meets Zadie's eyes, and this time he laughs.

"We are terrible, aren't we?" Harper holds up her glass.

Harley winks, clinking it with his own. "Utterly wretched."

Conversation ceases as their waiter arrives with Logan's meal and a refill for his soda.

The salad is...lettuce, but the chicken is perfectly chargrilled and the provolone melts in his mouth.

"I like you, Nolan," Harper says, between bites. "You look like you know how to have fun."

"Life of the party, that's me." _Ever need somebody to do body shots off an unconscious girl, I'm your guy._

"You should come over and hang by the pool. Any time." She reaches for a napkin, and jots down the numbers, ' _8-2-6-4_ '. "That's the gate code. I'm assuming you know where the house is."

He nods. "Of course."

"Bring the wife, too. Did you marry that same girl? The sassy blonde from the party?"

"No...she's not in my life anymore." An icepick of grief stabs at his heart, and he sips his drink until it passes. "Different blonde. Just as sassy."

"Well bring her, anyway. Harley and I are alone up in that mausoleum. I can't leave the island, and I'm literally _dying_ of boredom." She points to her ankle monitor.

"How about my brother-in-law, Declan?" Logan spears a bite of chicken with his fork. "He was just mentioning yesterday how much he'd like to see your mansion. I guess it was featured in some house magazine a while back, or something?"

"Sure. Bring him along, and we'll give him the tour." Harper waves a hand. "The more the merrier."

Harley lounges insolently in his chair, but his eyes are sharp. "Is he stable? Emotionally?"

"Is anyone?" Logan counters. Harper lifts her glass and Logan dutifully clinks it. "But yeah. I mean, he's pretty chill."

"He's fine," Zadie says, picking up on the undercurrents. "I've only just met him, but he seems very quiet and well-mannered."

"Oh." Harper pokes out a lip. "Bummer."

"If anything, he could use a little corrupting," Zadie touches her lip, pretends to think. "Now who do I know who could accomplish something like that?"

Harper perks back up, raises her hand. "Me! Me!"

Logan snorts. "Keep dreaming. If me and his sister couldn't corrupt him, nobody can."

Zadie doesn't speak a word, merely pats her mouth with her napkin, but if the gleam in her eye is any indication, Duncan's in for a world of trouble.

The worst part is, Logan's not sure if he should stop her, or sit back with some popcorn and watch it play out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. I made a mess out of the timeline.  
> I'd intended to give Sherlock Holmeboy another case to get started on, but apparently Neptune is on a different space/time continuum from the rest of the story. One where Wallace could wrap up the Like a Virgin mystery before Homecoming? 
> 
> To be clear, this story's timeline is September, 2004. I back-dated canon with the intention of eventually lining up with a real world event, which in hindsight, was just unnecessary. I can't fix it now, so...just go with it.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [(FanArt) Sometimes by SilverLining2k6](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11705361) by [AlinaSorokina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlinaSorokina/pseuds/AlinaSorokina)




End file.
